Sly Cooper: Seppuku Squadron
by Mr History 94
Summary: After the events of Theives in Time, the corrupt workings within INTERPOL realizes that Cyrille Le Paradox carries something which could potenitally expose their plans. In order to silence him, they "employ" convicted criminals into capturing Le Paradox. But what is really at stake in a world without Sly Cooper? Characters belong to Sony Computer Entertainment. OCs belong to me.
1. Do It or Die

**SLY COOPER: SEPPUKU SQUADRON**

**For too long, this world has known crime and corruption to flourish without any actions taken. Now, it continues to grow like a cancer that threatens the daily lives of good samaritans. But are entities such as INTERPOL and the ICC enough to combat it? No, they are not. The foolish men on top of these organizations fail to see the bigger threat and how dangerous it really is. In these desperate times when crime threatens order and justice itself, serious measures are taken. And if that includes using convicted criminals to accomplish goals….so be it. After all, the end justifies the means. Such is the way of obtaining absolute justice.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Do It or Die**

_Inside an isolated room, in a building somewhere outside New York City, USA_

This facility was known to be used by INTERPOL, the international police organization, to house the most dangerous and infamous criminals. But in this very case, it was also a place for INTERPOL's rogue elements to conduct their schemes. That proved to be true, as someone was looking at a big screen that showed a picture of what was happening in an isolation room. From what the screen showed, a group of unconscious criminals were awakening, having been drugged in order to get kidnapped to this very location.

"Looks like they're all awake, ma'am" one of the security guards told the figure that was watching the screen.

This figure, who happened to be a woman, narrowed her cunning eyes as she watched. "Excellent. Then I think it's time to greet our guests" she said before leaving her seat.

The isolation room was currently housing the worst offenders to have ever been captured by INTERPOL, according to the organization itself, that is. They were infamous for their own schemes while being very different in terms of personalities. But they all had one thing in common, their operations had all been destroyed by a specific gang of thieves. One that they all loathed with disgust and hostility.

This group consisted of a frog, a bulldog, an alligator, a tiger, a black widow, a bison, a lion and a rooster. They each had different nationalities, yet were all previously engaged in criminal activities. The names of these convicted criminals were Sir Raleigh, Muggshot, Mz. Ruby, Rajan, the Contessa, Jean Bison, Don Octavio and General Tsao, respectively.

Once the group had gained their consciousness, they were each curious about seeing not only former criminal comrades, but also other bigshots in the criminal underworld.

"Ah, goodness me. If it isn't my old criminal cohorts: Muggshot and Mz. Ruby. How delightful and surprising to see you again" Raleigh exclaimed in a formal manner.

"Raleigh? My, my, you ain't as good-lookin' as I remember you to be!" Mz. Ruby said, most likely as a form of mocking the frog.

Raleigh grumbled to himself in what he heard, yet he didn't feel angry enough to launch an attack upon Mz. Ruby, especially given her taller size compared to him. The frog cursed himself.

"Okay. What's the big idea!?" Muggshot asked as he faced the other well-known criminals in the isolation room. "I don't know any of you chumps! So care to explain yourselves, or do I have to beat some answers out of you!?" the muscular bulldog threatened them while cracking his knuckles.

But none of the other criminals were intimidated, especially the muscular bison. "You think you're scarin' me, kiddo!? Hah! I've faced bears far more savage than you!" Jean Bison hit back.

Hearing this made Muggshot really agitated. "You wanna run that by me again, old-timer!?" he barked, feeling more than willing to get into a fistfight with the bison

Rajan growled in what he was witnessing. "Grrr. I can't believe this! Being stuck with two imbeciles that whose brains are as small as peas!" the tiger expressed his distaste.

"I wouldn't be so smug if I were you, Rajan. These three are no common criminals" the Contessa pointed out, facing Muggshot and his cohorts. "During my time in Interpol, I managed to learn about the three of you. You were once members of that infamous gang called the Fiendish Five, the same gang lead by Clockwerk. Isn't that right?" she asked them with a smirk.

Mz. Ruby seemed amused with the Contessa's answer. "Why, that's right! You sure have done your homework, haven't ya ex-warden?" the alligator enthusiastically responded.

"And you three are members of the Klaww Gang….or perhaps "were" is better word to use" Raleigh remarked.

Rajan's bestial anger was on full display. "My biggest mistake" he growled as he recalled back to something wrong he had done in the past.

"If you are all here, then what reason do I have?" Tsao demanded an answer from one of the criminals. "As far as I recall, I have never been a part of some pathetic criminal syndicate. The same goes for this old lion right here" he said with spite.

Octavio didn't appreciate the rooster's comment about him. "You shut your beak, pollo! Back in my days, I once ruled Venezia as the old doges did in the past! Even as I've grown old, I still have the strength to ring your neck!" he got into Tsao's face.

But Tsao was not intimidated and looked at Octavio in a smug manner. "Oh really? Then why don't you face me in combat here and now, old fool! A new generation always surpasses the previous one!" he said while clenching his knuckles.

Octavio did the same. "Hah! You asked for it! When I am done with you, I will fry you like a chicken!" the lion roared back and prepared to get into a fistfight with Tsao.

But before those two could even begin their clash, a female voice could be heard calling out to them. Her voice alone stopped Octavio and Tsao from getting physical with one another.

"That's enough!" the voice came from the mysterious woman. She had entered the isolation room flanked by several security guards.

Her appearance was that of a very attractive and beautiful Gentoo penguin. She was dressed in an attire that reminded the criminals of a businesswoman. But her demeanor told them a different story.

"In this facility, there will be no fighting. That I want to make clear to each and everyone of you" she spoke, a cunning smirk forming on her beak. "Now then. Would you be so kind as to listen to what I say? I am also certain you know who I am. A few of you, perhaps do" she went on.

Of all the criminals, the Contessa seemed to at least recognize her. "I don't believe it. You're one of the leaders of the International Criminal Courts. Vice-President Pinga Masayoshi" the black widow stated.

"Did you say Pinga Masayoshi!?" Tsao asked before directing his anger towards the penguin. "You! You're that foul woman who was among those judges convicting me! You dare showing your face here!?" the rooster was so angry that he started to physically approach Pinga.

Despite the aggression, Pinga remained unfazed. As a matter of fact, Taso stopped when he could hear a beeping sound. It made the other criminals cautious as well, especially when they realized it came from Tsao's neck.

"I would relax if I were you, ex-general. Otherwise, you would not like to be a chicken running around with its head blown off" Pinga said in a threatening manner.

This alone made someone as misogynistic as Tsao to back down. He slowly touched the back of his neck. "What have you done? What is this thing you have planted in my neck!?" Tsao demanded.

The smirk on Pinga's beak never faded away. "I am glad you asked. And I will happily fill you in on it later. But first, let me introduce myself properly" the penguin said before a holographic screen was shown above her. "As the Contessa said, I am the Vice-President of the ICC. But I am more than that. I am also the Director of B.A.N.J.O." she revealed to them.

While most of the criminals were surprised, both Muggshot and Jean Bison laughed at what they heard.

"What in tarnation! B.A.N.J.O.? What kind of organization uses a name like that!? You fellas some bunch of country musicians or somethin'!?" Jean Bison never stopped laughing.

"Yeah! Whatever you guys are, the name sure sucks balls!" Muggshot joined in on the ridiculing.

The other convicts weren't fond of what those two were doing, especially their former partners-in-crime.

"Bah! Fatheaded nincompoops!" Raleigh muttered in distaste of what he was seeing.

"That name is not to be taken for granted" the Contessa's words forced both Jean Bison and Muggshot to stop laughing. The black widow seemed to have plenty of information when it came to this organization Pinga worked for. "B.A.N.J.O. is short for the Bureau of Absolute Neverendingly Justice and Order. I thought its existence was nothing more but mere urban legends. But I assume with you as its director, neither INTERPOL nor the ICC is aware of it" the gothic-looking woman explained while glancing warily at Pinga.

She mused to herself in what she heard. "Good answer, Sorina Pavouk. It appears that your time behind bars has not made you completely ignorant about our inner workings" Pinga responded while addressing the Contessa by a different name.

In response, the Contessa gritted her teeth in anger. "You know my true name?" she asked, feeling very exposed.

"Yes. Your true name, the one you had before you married the man you "poisoned". You really owe it to me for covering that murder" Pinga smugly revealed.

Hearing this only filled the Contessa with rage and contempt. "You filthy, little….."she was so angry that she decided to launch herself at Pinga, only for something to beep in her neck. This made her freeze completely. "I should've known…..this device you have planted in my neck….its a….." even someone like her was filled with terror in realizing what Pinga had done to her and the other criminals.

All of a sudden, several holographic screens showed up in the isolation room. Each of them revealed the names of the convicts, as well as former positions and places of origin. But they also had one thing in common.

_Name: Sir Walter Raleigh _

_Sex: Male_

_Former position: Chief machinist of the Fiendish Five_

_Nationality: United Kingdom_

_Status: Alive_

_Name: Bill Mugg aka Muggshot_

_Sex: Male_

_Former position: Enforcer of the Fiendish Five_

_Nationality: United States_

_Status: Alive_

_Name: Ruby Mambo aka Mz. Ruby_

_Sex: Female_

_Former position: Chief Mystic of the Fiendish Five_

_Nationality: Haiti_

Status: Alive

_Name: Rajan Sunderbans_

_Sex: Male_

_Former position: Spice producer of the Klaww Gang_

_Nationality: India_

_Status: Alive_

_Name: Sorina Pavouk aka the Contessa_

_Sex: Female_

_Former position: Hypnotist of the Klaww Gang_

_Nationality: Czech Republic_

_Status: Alive_

_Name: Jean Bison_

_Sex: Male_

_Former position: Spice transporter of the Klaww Gang_

_Nationality: Canada_

_Status: Alive_

_Name: Octavio Pavarotti_

_Sex: Male_

_Former position: Mob boss of Venice_

_Nationality: Italy_

_Status: Alive_

_Name: Tsao Nezha _

_Sex: Male_

_Former position: Rouge-general of Kunlun Mountains_

_Nationality: China_

_Status: Alive_

"I know each and every one of you and the pasts you have experienced. But those means nothing to me. But right now, let's just cut to the chase and get to the part I have brought you all here for" Pinga explained and a hologram of a familiar villain suddenly appeared before everyone. "I want you all to capture this man: Cyrille Le Paradox. While he's currently incarcerated in Paris, he's about to be transferred to a prison facility in Marseille. He's being transported by a secured and armored train. All of you are to board that train and bust Le Paradox out. Then, you bring him to the designated location" she revealed to the group of convicts.

Rajan crossed his strong arms. "You want us to free some worthless trash? Why can't you do it!?" the tiger's outburst was on full display.

"Normally, I would. But considering the circumstances, I just can't afford to lose my position within the ICC. My operations with B.A.N.J.O. must remain exclusive. Besides, it is always fun to use criminals to do the deed. After all, you lot are nothing but scum of the Earth. Sitting inside a cell is not enough punishment for you" Pinga responded to Rajan's question.

"It's funny. You call us scum when you are the one asking us to do your dirty work? Looks like hypocrisy at its finest" Octavio countered, only to snap once he heard the beeping sound coming from his neck.

"Careful what you wish for, Octavio Pavarotti. I would hate to blow off a talented tenor such as yourself" Pinga said, a cunning smirk forming on her beak once again. "To make sure none of you are uncooperative, we implanted nano-bombs in your necks while you were unconscious. Defy me….and your heads will be blown off" she then revealed, showing no emotion whatsoever.

The group of criminals were all shocked and angered at the same time. At this rate, this penguin before them had the ability to end their lives by blowing their heads off. In other words, Pinga was now holding their lives in her hands

"You little bitch!" Muggshot swore at her, yet he didn't move a muscle.

"How could I have been reduced to such ridicule!? Me, General Tsao, being at the mercy of some corrupted chairwoman!" Tsao lamented his current state.

Mz. Ruby glared at Pinga. "Oh, just you wait! When I get that nano-bomb out of my neck, you're my next victim!" the voodoo priestess didn't hold back her rage.

Pinga sighed deeply in annoyance. "Throw all these empty threats you want, they won't help you in getting rid of the nano-bombs" she said, still feeling so confident in her ability to force criminals into doing her bidding. "Only if you accomplish the job of freeing Le Paradox will I remove those nano-bombs. And remember, I've got ears and eyes all over you. So you better do as you're told. After all, Le Paradox maybe our key to finding Sly Cooper" the penguin then revealed.

"COOPER!" the name brought outrage in the isolation room.

Once that name came up, all the criminals started going into rage mode. Each of them carried nothing but loathing towards the master thief of the Cooper Clan, as well as the leader of the infamous Cooper Gang. He had played a part in ruining their criminal careers.

"Damn that Cooper Gang! It's because of them and that liar Arpeggio my business was ruined!" Rajan roared, still feeling embittered by the loss of his spice productions.

"I could've almost avoided jail if I had known that midget bird was grooming Neyla to be his protégé. It's a good thing they're both gone" the Contessa revealed.

"Sly Cooper seems to have ruined us all! It's not surprisin' that we share a common distaste towards that connivin' thief" Jean Bison noted in how those around him also held their grudges towards the Cooper.

"When I get my hands on that racoon, I'll rip out his limbs and use his cane as a backscratcher!" Muggshot bellowed, his fists feeling the urge to kill Sly.

"That blasted gang ruined my chance to make opera mainstream again! I see now reason why I should not kill them!" Octavio unleashed his tirade.

But some of the criminals remained skeptical about what Pinga claimed when it came to how this mission would help them find Sly. Among them was Raleigh.

"I'm sorry. But I must ask: how will us freeing that buffoonish skunk bring us any way closer to Sly Cooper? From what we know, he and his friends has been missing in action recently" the frog questioned Pinga.

"It's simple really. Le Paradox managed to mess up the timelines pretty bad with that time machine of his. But the one who stopped his crazed idea, was Sly Cooper. Like you, Le Paradox carries a strong hatred towards Cooper and his gang. If you rescue him, he might be able to help you find Cooper's whereabouts" Pinga answered plainly.

"So you're sayin' that we could actually manage to get our hands on that racoon if we deliver this Le Paradox to ya?" Jean Bison asked, soon bursting out laughing. "Hell yeah! I'm in this game! If this mission involves around crackin' a few skulls, then I'm tagging along!" he exclaimed with a laidback attitude.

Soon, other former criminals were drawn to the idea of getting back at Sly, after completing whatever mission that was.

"Me too!" Muggshot growled as he cracked his fists. "I'm more than up for this!" the muscular bulldog added.

Pinga realized that the criminals she had gathered was now ready and willing to do these things for her. "Fantastic! Then I will arrange your transport to get here shortly. You'll be transported to the nearest airbase where your plane to France awaits. Then you can proceed with the mission. But remember, I still hold the fate of your lives in my hands, Seppuku Squadron" she revealed.

"Seppuku Squadron? Is that what your name for us is now?" the Contessa asked with her arms crossed.

"For now. Now be ready to leave as soon as possible. Your ride will soon arrive" the penguin turned around to walk away, only to be stopped by someone calling to her.

"Hold it!" Tsao eruptively snapped, forcing Pinga to stop. "Know this, Pinga Masayoshi. Should you not keep your end of the bargain, I will personally come and snap your neck like a twig! So don't you dare betray me!" the rooster threatened the woman without thinking about the consequences.

Pinga smirked as she looked over her shoulder. "Oh no, Tsao. I am a woman of my word, even towards lowly criminals such as you. Now if you excuse me, I have plans to do. So you may rest easy on your journey" she said, much to the confusion of the Seppuku Squadron.

As soon as Pinga and her guards were out, a thick layer of sleeping gas was unleashed in the isolation room. All the criminals fell into sleep, since none of them were tough enough to withstand it.

But Pinga was on her way to another room in this facility. She stood outside what appeared to be an interrogation room. The large window enabled her to see everything going inside. Pinga stood and watched as several tough security guards were violently beating up a black bear dressed in a purple tracksuit. From the looks of it, he seemed to be some kind of thug. Either way, he was seriously bleeding and even had a blue eye.

Without even flinching at the sight of such brutality, Pinga entered the interrogation room. "That's enough beating for now, men. Let me talk with him now. Would you hold him still for a minute?" she asked the security guards, who happened to be gorillas.

They obeyed her without question with the bear barley mustering enough strength to look in her face.

"Okay then, Gareth Davies aka the Grizz. Tell me what you know about your ex-cohort and those files he carries" Pinga questioned him in a sadistic manner.

The Grizz, already bruised and injured, growled at her. "You crazy hoe…I'm gonna put a hole in yo head! AAAARGHH!" he screamed in pain as one of the security guards slammed his fist on his head. "Dayum, I already told you! I know nuthin' about Le Paradox carryin' some info!" the gangster bear insisted.

But Pinga was not convinced. "Maybe this will refresh your memories!" the penguin said as she began searching the pockets of Grizz's tracksuit. She eventually managed to find something.

"Hey! Give it back, that's private!" the Grizz shouted, yet it was already too late.

The serious-minded woman carefully studied what appeared to be a chip. "Then explain this. Where did you get that?" Pinga asked him again.

"I….I bought in da hood….from one of mah home boys…..I swear I…" no matter how much the Grizz tried, he couldn't lie to this woman anymore. She was willing to see him suffer until she got what she wanted. "Alright! I confess! I confess! Dat fool Le Paradox gave me that because he you would come after his stinky ass! I swear to God, yo! I'm just trying to get my record straight and become a rapper and all…" the bear was surprised once Pinga smiled and got up on her seat.

"There. Now that wasn't so difficult, wasn't it, Grizz? All you had to do was to cooperate and tell the truth. Now that I know how Le Paradox still operates behind bars, I may have to catch him sooner. Otherwise, he could reveal my operations to the world" Pinga noted, feeling quite angry at the moment.

The Grizz knew not what to say at this, yet he weakly asked her. "Can I go now?" he pleaded like a child.

"Yes, yes. You may leave this facility. We have what you came for" Pinga said and headed towards the door, only to look over her shoulder. "Just remember, one word to the authorities…..and you'll suffer a fate far worse than imprisonment" the penguin said before taking her leave.

With that being said, the security guards carried the Grizz out of the building. At the entrance, the bear was thrown out as if he was trash. Neither of security guards showed any remorse.

"Okay fatso. You've done your deed. Now piss off and go back to the hood!" the security guard spat.

But the Grizz felt treated unfairly. "Hell to da nah! You bitches owe me an apology after all dat beating I got! And give me some coins for da bus and da hospital bills, yo!" he demanded those things, refusing to leave.

Even so, the security guards responded by becoming more aggressive and threatening towards the rapper. Fearing for his life, the Grizz ran away as quick as he could. The two security guards laughed in what they were seeing.

"Now that's what I call comedy in gold!" one of them said, still laughing out loud.

* * *

_Inside Paris-Est train station, Paris, France_

Things in Paris had cooled down since the defeat of Cyrille Le Paradox and his phony attempt to gain royalty. Still, it didn't mean that crime had died down in the famous City of Lights. Luckily, INTERPOL was always up for crime's challenges to the good citizens of Paris.

But in one of the many famous train stations in Paris, Le Paradox himself was being escorted onto an armored train that was highly secured, both inside and outside the wagons. For some reason, INTERPOL had decided to transfer him to a facility in the southern city of Marseille. Therefore, his transportation had to be tightly secured. Le Paradox was still doing a life sentence after all.

"Okay now. Get your stinky ass onboard" one of the policemen ordered Le Paradox while pushing him.

"I'm already trying to! Stop touching me!" the skunk snapped back as he got onboard. Once he was on the train, Le Paradox lamented on what state he was in. "Merde! These imbeciles have no respect for those who're above them!" he cursed.

With his hands handcuffed, Le Paradox was escorted by police into his personal cell on the most secured wagon. This would be highly guarded, not to mention how it would keep the odor clean.

As the door to the wagon opened, Le Paradox was greeted by the INTERPOL-officers overseeing the security onboard the train. It was Commissioner James Barkley, Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox and last but least Detective Timmy Winthorp. The skunk smirked to himself in what he was seeing.

"Ah, so I get to be escorted by some of INTERPOL's top celebrities? I feel honored" Le Paradox spoke with sarcasm in his voice.

None of the officers took his words for granted, especially Barkley. "Don't get all chummy with us, Le Paradox. While you may be transferred, there's no way you'll be walking free ever again. You're better off crying at the corner of your cell" the commissioner reminded the convict.

"Hmm, whatever" Le Paradox responded, only to have his gaze focused upon Carmelita. The fiery vixen had so far given him nothing but a hateful stare. Still, it wasn't enough to scare the cunning skunk's attempt to charm her. "Ah, mon chéri! You look lovely as you always do. Have you missed me?" he tried to flirt with Carmelita.

The hateful expression towards Carmelita never changed. She kept glaring at him as if he had committed a murder.

"Now, now, Madame Fox. You know it is rude to give such rude stares. Why do you even look so upset?" Le Paradox asked, only to form a smirk underneath his white moustache. "Are you still upset about what happened with that ex-boyfriend of yours? Come now, you know very well that you and him could never hope to be together. After all he was nothing but a lowlife…" the skunk's insulting jab was interrupted by an angry voice.

"Shut your trap, you scumbag! Otherwise, I'm gonna shove my pistol up your…." Camrelita unleashed her verbal threats.

"INSPECTOR FOX!" Barkley's command immediately shut her down. The middle-aged badger glared at Carmelita with disapproval. "You're an officer of INTERPOL. Act like one. I expect better conduct from my subordinates" the commissioner reminded her.

Carmelita lowered her head in shame. "Yessir. I apologize for the outburst" she replied quickly, knowing better than to stand against her superior.

With that taken care of Barkley directed his attention towards Le Paradox and the guards that were holding him. "Throw that slimeball into the cell. It's odor-proof, so we'll have no problems with his smell" he commended them.

Le Paradox was put into his cell, and locked tightly. The three INTERPOL-officers then exited the wagon, leaving the skunk in his cell surrounded by several guards. But even as he was imprisoned, Le Paradox was still the opportunist and schemer.

"Just you wait, INTERPOL! I still have the ability to bring you to your knees!" he said to himself while lying down on the bed.

At the other wagon, Commissioner Barkley was having a final chat with his subordinates before taking his leave. "Alright. Now that we've gotten Le Paradox into his cage, I say we all deserve a break. But it will only be 50 minutes" he said while taking a cigarette in his mouth. "I'll be at my quarters for a smoke break and some coffee and donuts. If there's anything on your minds, you know where to find me. I'll be seeing you kids soon" he said before exiting the wagon to head for his quarters.

This left his two subordinates all by themselves. For Carmelita, however, the taunting words Le Paradox continued to bother her, as they had only brought her a painful reminder. Months had passed since the day Sly had disappeared after his final battle against Le Paradox on his blimp. And yet, there was still no sign of him.

The vixen reached for something in her pockets and pulled it out. It was a picture of her and Sly, when Sly had surprisingly kissed her the minute the camera had snapped. Carmelita smiled as she kept looking at it, her eyes never looking away.

"Umm….Carmelita?" that quirky voice belonged to Whinthorp. Carmelita put the picture away and faced her assistant. "I don't mean to be rude and all, but I was wondering about whether you wanted to talk about what Le Paradox said to you and…" he struggled to come up with the right words.

Carmelita rolled her eyes. "Look, Winthorp. We've been through this before. I'm not in love with you! How many times must I say that?" she expressed her annoyance with him.

Winthorp squeaked a little. "I know, but that's not what I meant. Given that we're partners once again, you know you can always speak to me whenever something's…" the weasel stopped speaking as he saw Carmelita turn around and walk away. "Wait! Carmelita! I'm only concerned for you! I mean, I can fully understand how Le Paradox's words hit you hard. But please, don't listen to what he says" he tried his best to make her come back.

But Carmelita simply looked over her shoulder. "Just cut it out, Winthorp! Whatever that smug jackass says, I couldn't care less! They don't sway me that easily! Now, leave me alone and quit getting into my business. It has nothing to do with you!" she snapped as she slammed the door to her quarters on the train.

This left Winthorp all by himself, the detective feeling incredibly sad for the state his partner was in. As much as it hurt to hear Carmelita say those words, he knew that the vixen was not in the right state of mind at the moment. Hopefully, she would get better and eventually open up to him about her own personal issues.

"Don't worry about it, Carmelita! I Timmy Winthorp will be at your side no matter how dire the situation is!" he clumsily exclaimed, even though he knew he was all alone by himself.

_To be continued…._


	2. Target Acquired

**SLY COOPER: SEPPUKU SQUADRON**

**Criminals. For what reason could they possibly have for committing such atrocities? Is it poverty? Inequality? Discrimination? Prejudice? Bigotry? War? There exists so many reasons as to why people have excuses to commit such crimes. But no matter. Those criminals have no justification whatsoever. Crime and corruption breeds nothing but fear and injustice amongst the population. History has proven that theory right. The fact that INTERPOL and the ICC fails to see that only confirms how inadequate they are.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Target Acquired**

_Onboard a train flying above France_

After flying across the Atlantic Ocean for hours, this cargo plane was finally nearing France. Given that it carried the logo of INTERPOL on its tail wing, no one would expect it to be carrying the most infamous criminals to roam on this world.

This group of criminals, having been dubbed the Seppuku Squadron by the corrupted ICC-official named Pinga Masayoshi, had been placed in charge of freeing and capturing the incarcerated Cyrille Le Paradox. He was currently being transferred to another prison facility outside Marseille. Still, the members of the Squadron knew nothing about Pinga's true motives for capturing that skunk, other than him having the ability to rat out INTERPOL's corrupt workings.

Onboard the cargo plane, every member sat in two rows across from one another. On the first row sat Muggshot, Rajan, Jean Bison, and Tsao. On the second row sat Mz. Ruby, Raleigh, the Contessa and Octavio. Having been asleep for hours due to a sleeping gas Pinga had unleashed upon them back in the US, the members of the Seppuku Squadron were all confused at first. But they eventually knew where they were heading towards. They also realized how different attires they had been given. No longer did they wear their prison uniforms.

"Ah great! Here we are sitting on a plane while still being treated like prisoners! How ironic is that!?" Muggshot sarcastically lamented, the bulldog crossing his arms in the process.

"Oh, come off it, Muggshot! You have probably had worse days in the facility than this!" Raleigh reprimanded him, only to rub his gloved hands in a sneaky manner. "But look the bright side. At least we got to spend time out in the free…..with limitations, of course" the frog with the tophat added.

"Limitations or not, this mission is still an embarrassment to the likes of me" the Contessa responded, feeling very sour. "I just want to get this mission finished so that I no longer will be in debt to anyone ever again" the black widow expressed her dismay.

"You never told me an' Rajan about that Pinga, didn't ya?" Jean Bison questioned his former cohort. "Why, that was a mistake on your part! You shoulda told us long ago!" he confronted the Contessa.

Even so, the Contessa was unfazed. "Shut up, buffon. I was struggling to cover my operations for INTERPOL. If that pompous fool Arpeggio hadn't betrayed us all by using that brat Neyla, I would've succeeded!" she was reminded about her fall.

Mz. Ruby was quite impressed by the Contessa's tale. "So, you say the Klaww Gang fell due to betrayal from within? Hmmm, quite fascinatin', I must say!" the voodoo priestess exclaimed.

"It was not just betrayal that caused our downfall" Rajan spoke up, growling as he was reminded about his fall. "Not only was Arpeggio using that wench Neyla! He was also using the Cooper Gang. Yet still, that tiny weakling allowed himself to be used by Neyla, which cost him his own life! Grr, if only I would get my claws on those backstabbers!" he was enraged with the revenge he had been denied.

"Now that reminds me. Did any of you guys know about the Panda King? He literally joined the Cooper Gang once! Can you believe him!?" Muggshot asked everyone, although he was specifically asking Raleigh and Mz. Ruby.

"Yes, much to my dismay" Raleigh agreed.

"Why he ever did that is beyond me! But then again, he always was the softie among us Fiendish Five" Mz. Ruby expressed her opnion of their former cohort.

Tsao, who had overheard everything, sneered at the mentioning of the Panda King. "Panda King. How I hate that name!" Tsao snapped.

The other criminals were confused at this. "Why? Did he murder your parents as well?" Muggshot blatantly asked him.

The rooster was angered at his stupidity. "No! Before being reduced to this, I was on the verge of becoming the ruler of the Kunlun Mountains. That's why I wanted to marry his daughter Jing King, so that our bloodline would forge a new generation of great rulers! If it hadn't been for the Panda King and the Cooper Gang ruining the wedding, I could've become the ruler of China, undisputedly!" Tsao recalled back to his greatest defeat.

But for the Panda King's former cohorts in the Fiendish Five, this revelation was astounding. None of them knew about the fact that the Panda King had a child.

Muggshot whistled in amazement. "The Panda King was a papa? Woah! Talk about a shocker" he exclaimed out in disbelief.

Mz. Ruby had to smirk. "Might as well call him Papa Bear now!" she said before her jaws turned into a frown. "Still, I can't forgive him for becoming a member of the Cooper Gang!" she snapped.

"I most certainly agree" Raleigh said.

"Ya know, our gangs may not be that different" Jean Bison remarked. "Word is, that guy we were pals with named Dimitri was also recruited into the Cooper Gang" the bison recalled from the rumors he had heard.

"You cannot possibly mean Dimitri Lousteau" Rajan said before he facepalmed.

Even the Contessa felt herself twitching by hearing that name. "That useless, imbecilic clown! He was as unreliable as a dead rat! Why Arpeggio even recruited him into the Klaww Gang is beyond me" she expressed her distaste towards the former member.

"Anyway, as I was sayin', Dimitri was recruited by the Cooper Gang. Now I hear that he's on good terms with them. For what reason, I can't say for sure" Jean Bison clarified his point.

"Hmm, this Sly Cooper seems to always keep getting new friends to his side. I cannot help but to wonder how he does that" Raleigh remarked, slowly getting intrigued by the stories he heard.

Octavio was growing tired of all this. "Bah! All this talk about the Cooper Gang and their shenanigans are driving me insane! Don't you have any better things to say. Like for example, how in the world do we proceed with this mission?" the lion was furious, speaking as if he singing.

All of a sudden, the giant screen inside the cargo plane was switched on. All the members of the Seppuku Squadron turned to look at who was on it. It was Pinga Masayoshi, Vice-President of the ICC and the Director of B.A.N.J.O. She made sure that everyone had her attention.

"_Greetings to you all, Seppuku Squadron. I trust that your trip was been comfy so far_" Pinga told them, almost like that of an interrogator.

Jean Bison grunted at her question. "You ask us that after showerin' us with sleepin' gas? Get real!" he felt as if Pinga's question was completely out of place.

A chuckle came out from Pinga's beak, and it irritated the criminals to their fullest.

"_Come now, Jean Bison. I was actually being frank with you. After all, the survival of you and your comrades is in my best interest_" the female penguin assured him.

Muggshot huffed at her words. "Best interest my…" he stopped speaking once he heard the beeping sound coming from his neck. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! Just don't blow my head off!" he retracted his statement, thus ending the beeping noise.

So far, Pinga was only enjoying herself in toying with these criminals to her own amusement. She knew that they would not do anything to upset her. Otherwise, they would meet their end sooner. But as fun as it was to see the criminals cower before her, Pinga knew that more pressing matters needed to be discussed.

"_Moving on. I'm calling to you for two good reasons. So I will start with the first one. While there is no doubt that each of you are capable of doing good things in your own way, the Seppuku Squadron cannot be leaderless. That is why I have decided to name out who the captain among you is_" Pinga revealed, causing the entire Squadron to pay closer attention to her announcement. "_After much consideration, I have decided that the captain of the Seppuku Squadron will be…Tsao Nezha_" she revealed who the leader was.

Everyone was surprised, even Tsao. Yet the rooster soon found himself feeling so high and mighty in his abilities.

"Ah, so you appreciate my superiority? I thank you for this honor, Pinga Masayohsi" Tsao expressed his gratitude, although it sounded quite false.

But the other criminals were not pleased with the result, especially among those who believed they were much more superior and suited for the job.

"Hey! Whoever said that this chicken had leadership capabilities!? I'm more than up for the job!?" Muggshot protested.

"Yes! I refuse to be led by some arrogant and entitled brat!" Rajan snapped, something Tsao did not take kindly to.

Even the Contessa was having her misgivings. "Oh please. If there's anything that warmonger will be good at, it is screaming loudly at our enemies" she expressed he opposition to having Tsao as leader.

"I must agree with these chaps. I feel that the burden of leadership is not suited for…..young and aggressive men such as him" Raleigh informed his misgivings.

Tsao was furious with what he was hearing. "You dare question my capabilities in leadership!? I am the heir to the Tsao Family. I also lead served as a general in the Chinese military before they suspended me! That alone should be more than enough to convince you about my skills!" the rooster didn't hold back his rage towards the other criminals.

"_Which why I've chosen you to be this team's captain, Tsao. Your previous affiliation with the PLA is, without question, an asset to being a leader_" Pinga agreed with the ex-general, yet she was not finished speaking. "_And with a captain, comes a lieutenant. In the Seppuku Squadron, at least two will do just fine. These two lieutenants will be helpful in coordinating our operations. And after much consideration the two lieutenants will be…Rajan Sunderbans and Octavio Pavarotti_" she revealed who Tsao's lieutenants would be.

Octavio smirked as he glanced over at the rooster. "Brillante! That means you will do well to heed my advices" he expressed his joy over being a lieutenant.

Rajan was having similar thoughts, and he even gave Tsao a psychotic grin. "I will be the judge of whether you are worthy of being captain or not. But sooner or later, you will realize how I as your elder is superior in every way" the tiger informed Tsao.

The former Chinese general was dismayed over being informed about this. "What a pity. How can she expect me to work with arrogant misfits who have no clue about the meaning of leadership!?" he angrily thought, wanting to attack Pinga for putting him in this position.

"Well, if Rajan an' that opera-feller will be the lieutenants, I'm fine with that! I just hope Rajan doesn't screw this one up" Jean Bison expressed his support.

Hearing this made Rajan growl towards the bison. "You be silent, oaf!" he sneered.

The rest of the Seppuku Squadron seemed to accept the leadership, even those intelligent such as Raleigh and the Contessa.

"Very well. I will accept this leadership. But know that I will hold all you three accountable should we fail or die in this mission" the black widow threatened Tsao, Rajan and Octavio.

Mz. Ruby turned her attention towards Pinga on the screen. "Alright! Now, weren't you gonna say somethin' else to us, little Mz. Penguin?" she said with sarcasm in her voice.

Pinga ignored the alligator's teasing and proceeded to move on. "_Correct. And that leads me now to tell you where you will be going next. All of you are to head for the city of Lyon. B.A.N.J.O.'s hired weaponsmith is staying there preparing your weapons. You are to meet with her and then begin the plan of freeing Le Paradox from the armored train. But you must make haste. Even as of now, the train has left Paris_" the chairwoman explained.

"A weaponsmith? How do we find that guy?" Muggshot quizzed.

"_According to our sources the weaponsmith is seen hanging out at a nightclub called Le Butin. It is there you will meet up with that individual. The weaponsmith wishes to remain anonomyous, but I will give you the codename: Mecha Mouse. That's the name you should be looking for_" Pinga revealed what their plan was.

"Hmmm…...Mecha Mouse. An intriguing codename" Raleigh admitted, feeling very keen on meeting this weaponsmith. "Whoever that chap is, I would love to meet him in person" he added with a smirk.

"So we are currently flying towards Lyon?" Tsao asked. "Very well. But how long till we reach it?" he asked her.

Pinga's smirk never faded away. "_Oh, all of you just sit still. And make sure that your seatbelts are fastened_" she told them, yet the entire Seppuku Squadron were confused in what she was saying. _"What I am trying to say….is that you have arrived at your destination. So this is where you're all going off. Farewell until we next speak, Seppuku Squadron_" those where the last words before the plane's bay door opened.

All the criminals were shocked, as they were suddenly drawn out to the opened door, while remaining seated. They screamed, given that they were falling down towards Lyon from an incredible height. It was evening and there were clouds the seated criminals had to fall through before finally reaching the city. The moment the city was fully exposed for them to see, the many seats activated what appeared to be parachutes.

While they slowly descended towards the city, each member took their time to admire how beautiful Lyon was during the evening. The lights were on and they could even see the two rivers that run through the city: Rhône and Saône. It was an amazing view to be honest.

It didn't take long before the Seppuku Squadron landed in what appeared to be an alleyway in the city. Fortunately, everyone had a safe landing. However, this very experience had forced the members to take a deep breath, given that they had almost thought they would die just now.

"Woohoo! Oh my goodness! That was quite the landing!" Mz. Ruby exclaimed, the voodoo priestess feeling her adrenaline rising.

The Contessa was not feeling the same way. "Just shut up! I could almost swear that little fena was trying to kill us!" she snapped, even cursing at Czech when referring to Pinga.

"I really hope we don't have to do this kind of stunt ever again!" Jean Bison hoped.

"Yeah! How dare that little penguin-bitch do this to us? To me!?" Muggshot cursed, he himself feeling angered over what he had just experienced. "I may have been a regular at the ACER-tournaments, but THAT was beyond the line!" the muscular bulldog recalled to how he was in fact a pilot.

Tsao was irritated, yet he quickly brushed off this little episode. "Quit your whining for now! You heard the penguin. This "Mecha Mouse" is known to be a frequent visitor of the nightclub called Le Butin. We best go find him if we want to gain weapons for our mission" he called on the other members.

Octavio chuckled to what he was hearing. "Bene! We might as well search for it in this wonderous city. Ah, I remember how I would always visit Lyon for opera concerts during my youth" the Italian lion still remembered some fond times.

"That's all irrelevant now" Raleigh spoke up, the frog turning his attention to Tsao. "And come to think of it, this Le Butin sounds very familiar. If I recall correctly, it used to be a sailor-inspired bar. Perhaps something must have changed with it" he tried to recall what he knew about the place.

Rajan grew impatient. "Then what are we all waiting for? Let us just find this place before we get spotted! Lyon is crawling with INTERPOL-agents and once they notice us walking around the city streets, they will be suspicious" he reminded everybody.

Tsao glared at the older tiger. "A wise suggestion, old man. But bear in mind that only I give the orders around here! You follow me to the letter!" he pointed out.

But Rajan was not intimidated by the rooster's cold stare. "Grrrrrr. Careful whom you stand up to, brat! I am a lord and a…." he was surprised when Tsao simply ignored him by walking. "Hey! Don't you dare ignore me!" Rajan hissed, yet neither Tsao nor the other members took his words for real.

"Just let it slide, Rajan. You've said what you needed to say. We best find this nightclub to meet with that weaponsmith" Jean Bison encouraged his former cohort before joining up with the others.

Grumbling, Rajan reluctantly followed them.

* * *

_Onboard an armored train, on the outskirts of Paris, France_

Carmelita Montoya Fox was having a break at her personal quarters onboard the armored train. Personally, she had dreaded over this job, given that she didn't want anything to do with Cyrille Le Paradox. But on a bright side, Le Paradox was now behind bars and a criminal. Therefore, he could no longer be considered a menace to society.

Still, the vixen felt that the arrogant skunk had taken something precious from her. It was her feelings towards Sly Cooper. He was now gone, probably stuck somewhere in the timeline. But as she kept thinking about him, Carmelita couldn't help but to ask herself this: why would a law-abiding cop such as her fall in love with a law-breaking thief such as Sly?

Carmelita's recent time-travelling adventure with the Cooper Gang had enabled her to get to know Sly better as thief than she did when he had "faked" amnesia. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, both Carmelita and Sly fought for the good cause. Carmelita knew that even police organizations such as INTERPOL was not perfect, as they had their fair share with flaws and corruption.

Sitting by her computer, Carmelita slapped herself in the face. "What am I doing!? I'm currently on the job! I shouldn't be sitting her daydreaming about Sly's whereabouts. There will be time for that later" the vixen said before tapping on the keypads to her computer. "I may as well start searching for details about the prisoner I'm supposed to protect. Tch, protect, my ass! Le Paradox deserves worse than this!" Carmelita didn't hold back her resentment towards the skunk.

Tapping on the keypad, she was visiting INTERPOL's criminal database, where the most infamous law-breakers were registered, including the Cooper Gang. But that's not what Carmelita was after. She was going in for details after Le Paradox, as well as his recent gang he had amassed to commit this fraud.

Searching through those individuals, Carmelita looked to the files of these wanted criminals that appeared on the screen of her computer.

_Name: Cyrille Le Paradox_

_Sex: Male_

_Place of origin: France_

_Status: Incarcerated_

_Name: Fidel Padrino Batista aka El Jefe_

_Sex: Male_

_Place of origin: Cuba_

_Status: Incarcerated_

_Name: Strelok Bytchkov aka Toothpick_

_Sex: Male_

_Place of origin: Russia_

_Status: Missing in action_

_Name: Gareth Davies aka the Grizz_

_Sex: Male_

_Place of origin: United States_

_Status: Rehabilitated_

_Name: Miss Decibel Roseingrave_

_Sex: Female_

_Place of origin: United Kingdom_

_Status: Rehabilitated_

_Name: Penelope Van Kinderdijk_

_Sex: Female_

_Place of origin: The Netherlands_

_Status: Missing in action_

"Well, El Jefe is behind bars, which is good. Decibel and Grizz is somehow "reformed" and has now rejoined society. Toothpick is deaf and probably dead back in the Wild West, which is indeed very good" Camrelita remarked as she read the details about the criminals she had encountered recently.

But when she paused when she looked at Penelope's files. That mouse was a different story, since Penelope had previously been a member of the Cooper Gang before becoming associated with Le Paradox. But more importantly she had once been the girlfriend of Bentley, the "brains" behind the Cooper Gang.

Carmelita began searching many pictures of a mouse logo that appeared on many walls. Unbeknownst to her superiors, she had received them from Bentley. "I can't believe it. Penelope managed to escape the most secured prison in Europe: the Brussels Facility. How she did that, I don't know" she remarked as she noticed how Penelope had travelled to places all across the world and taken those photos.

The vixen had been in secret contact with Bentley since the incident in Paris. From what Carmelita knew, he still struggled fixing the time machine that had been destroyed. But she also realized that Penelope had been sending those photos to him, but for what reason?

"I can only imagine that Penelope must still be scheming somewhere in the back. But is she still in league with Le Paradox? I highly doubt that" Carmelita said, only to notice that she had just received an e-mail. "What? Who could possible be sending me a…..." the vixen gasped once she opened to see who had sent it.

The e-mail was from Bentley, under a pseudonym of course. In that way, they could communicate with one another without getting risked being caught by vigilant police hackers. Making sure that nobody was around, Carmelita read the message carefully.

_Hey Carmelita._

_If this is a bad time to be getting this message, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. But I really feel I should let you in on this as well. After all, you're the only one I can trust when it comes to matters with INTERPOL. Anyway, back to business. I don't know how to properly explain this, but my sources indicate that someone within INTERPOL is seeking to free Le Paradox from jail. They say that he possesses some valuable information that could potentially expose INTERPOL's corruption. I don't know who these people were, but they did give me a hint: B.A.N.J.O. I've never heard of an organization called that in my lifetime. Still, I'll do my best to search the matter carefully. In the meantime, you better stay safe, Carmelita. These days, it's hard to know whom to trust. But I know that you're trustworthy at least. Stay safe. :-)_

_Best regards from Shelby Morris_

Carmelita smiled. She appreciated Bentley's concern and she was actually more than willing to write back to him. But before she could even start, a knock came on the door. It opened, and the vixen quickly got up to see who was entering. She snapped.

"Mrs. Fox. The break's over. It's time to get back to work" Commissioner Barkley told her, munching on a donut as he said those words.

Regardless, Carmelita saluted before him in return. "Roger! I'll be right there!" she responded.

Barkley was pleased in seeing how enthusiastic she was. "That's my girl" he commended her before hearing a cracking noise behind him. "What in the….." the middle-aged badger turned around to see what the fuss was about.

It was Detective Winthorp, who had accidentally dropped the coffee pot, creating a mess on the floor. The weasel looked at the commissioner apologetically.

"Oops….my bad" he stammered.

But it was already too late to apologize. "DAMN IT, WINTHORP! NOT AGAIN!" Barkley yelled as he looked in what the detective had done. "FIRST YOU DO IT BACK AT HQ! AND NOW YOU DO IT HERE ON THE FREAKING TRAING!? HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU NOT TO GRAB THE COFFE POT BY IT'S SIDES!?" the badger's anger was on full display.

Winthorp, already feeling caught with his pants down, tried to come up with an excuse. "B-but I…..I…." the meekly weasel uttered.

"DON'T EVEN START WITH THE EXCUSES! JUST GET A TISSUE AND A BRUSH AND CLEAN UP THIS MESS!" Barkley's words was more than enough for Winthorp to listen.

"YESSIR!" he responded before disappearing.

As Carmelita watched this scene, she couldn't help but to remark on how her life at INTERPOL was at least the same. Truth be told, she preferred it that way. Carmelita had already plenty of things to be ticked off about right now.

* * *

_Inside the nightclub called "Le Butin", Lyon, France_

The members of the Seppuku Squadron got more than they bargained for once they discovered the nightclub. They were even more surprised by what was really inside that building. It wasn't just a nightclub.

"This has to be a joke!" Tsao was enraged with what he witnessed.

"Santa Maria! What is this place!?" Octavio was speechless in what he was seeing.

"Le Butin ain't no nightclub, that's for sure!" Mz. Ruby said.

"It's a…" Rajan was shocked in what place they had arrived in. "STRIP CLUB!" he finally said it.

That's right. Le Butin was in fact a strip club. Even as the squadron was standing amidst the crowd, thousands of sex-crazed men and women were lining up to see women dancing by many poles, almost naked. The song Goodies by Ciara was playing in the background and the colorful lights only added to the mood. Meanwhile, the stench of tobacco and alcohol could be felt in the entire hall itself.

"It's…impossible!" Raleigh couldn't believe in what he was seeing. "Did that penguin send us all the way here just to visit a strip club!?" the frog was getting awfully agitated.

However, Muggshot and Jean Bison were filled with excitement in what they were seeing. To see so many women in revealing outfits dance made their hormones take control over them.

"Hotdamn! Look at those girls! This is paradise for sure!" Muggshot exclaimed while salvia was running from his tongue.

Jean Bison was equally excited, and something hit in his head. "Ah, now I get it! How stupid of me to forget! The word "Le Butin" is actually French for "The Booty"! I see the connection!" he explained.

"So, what do you say me and you go sit on those chairs and watch that chipmunk chick dancing with that squirrel girl!? They both got the assets you can dream of, yo!" Muggshot invited his fellow muscular criminal to some "babe-watching".

"Count me in, buddy!" Jean Bison responded.

"Idiots! Have you forgotten the reason why came here!?" the Contessa snapped at them.

But neither of the brutes took her words seriously. "Shut up, old hag! Me and my new pal here are gonna have some fun watchin' REAL women, instead of a goth like you!" the bison rudely told him before joining Muggshot.

The Contessa couldn't believe this. "Imbeciles, both of them" the black widow never hid her disapproval of those two.

"Let those brutes do as they please! We can do this without their assistance" Tsao told her, with Mz. Ruby joining up with them. "Contessa, you and Mz. Ruby will head backstage and see if you can find this Mecha Mouse. Bring her to me when you have found here" the rooster commanded them.

Mz. Ruby smirked in what they heard. "So, the great Tsao is afraid of naked women, huh!?" she teased him.

That only enraged the Chinese ex-general. "That has nothing to do with it! Just go backstage and find that weaponsmith!" he commanded them.

"Calm down, Tsao. We're on our way. You just stay here and enjoy the view while we ladies do your bidding" the Contessa said before she and Mz. Ruby went their way towards the backstage.

Tsao angrily looked away from all this messiness of seeing strippers dance for money. The very sight of that only enraged him on the inside.

"Tch, women. It doesn't matter whether you are in China or in the West. Women are always women. The same creatures that exists only to serve the men and please them in every way possible" Tsao commented before heading towards the bar.

At the bar, Raleigh, Rajan and Octavio were already there drinking. They had been confused by all this mess, so they had decided to drink. The bartender in front of them happened to be a seagull with an Irish hat.

"One glass of sherry for me, please" Raleigh ordered.

"One glass of Bellini for me, please" Octavio ordered.

Rajan, already feeling miserable, took his time before ordering his drink. "Just give me an Aam panna" he ordered without even looking at the bartender.

The bartender, who seemed quite like the silly type, responded enthusiastically. "Alrigt! Tree drinks comin' up!" he spoke in a strong Irish accent. While he was busy working on the drinks, Tsao joined the three at the bar counter, taking a stool beside them.

"What's the matter? Don't you wanna go and watch the show with Muggshot and Jean Bison?" Raleigh smugly asked the rooster.

"Unlike them, I take not pleasure in watching a woman who shows off their body for riches. My mindset is at another level" Tsao calmly responded.

Rajan had to smirk. "You mean forcing women into marriages is what you define as pleasurable?" the tiger tried to get under his feathers.

Tsao was furious. "You have no say on that matter! So shut up and stop bringing up my past failures!" he spat back before lamenting his fall. "All that I want is to get my hands on that skunk and have that nano-bomb removed from my neck. I can't live with such shame any longer" the ex-general muttered to himself.

The bartender returned to the counter with the three drinks for Octavio, Raleigh and Rajan. He then noticed Tsao's presence and asked if he was wanted something to drink.

"Ey, birdie. Yer want somethin'?" he questioned the general.

"No thank you. But there is something else I have on my mind that I would want from you" Tsao revealed, his watchful eyes slightly intimidating the bartender. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone by the name of Mecha Mouse, would you?" he then asked.

Somehow, the bartender jumped in surprise by hearing that name. This clearly demonstrated that he knew something at least.

"Don't say it oyt in de open! chucker yer even nu who dat is, lad!?" he asked while whispering over at the counter.

But Tsao responded by getting very close to the bartender's face, staring him directly in the eyes. "You have not answered what I asked. I want it now!" the rooster demanded.

Before the bartender could even speak, Tsao and the others in the hall noticed the lights suddenly shut off. However, the few flashlights that were on was pointing directly towards the scene and the curtains above. There was even a walkaway with a pole stacked at the end. All the visitors turned their eyes to it. Something was about to happen.

"_Ladies and gentlemen! Keep your pants and skirts tight! This evening's biggest show has arrived. She's a Dutch mechanic with a passion for machines. And not only that, she's got both brains and body! An accompanied by a passion for steampunk, you don't wanna miss this show! So let's give it all for…MECHA MOUSE!_"

Once the announcer said those words, someone appeared out of the curtains and began moving on the walkaway. It was a young mouse with long blonde hair and pink ears sticking out. Her very outfit appeared to be quite steampunk-inspired. She wore a brown tophat and yellow googles underneath it. Her attire was that of a yellow dress with some high heels.

The members of the Seppuku Squad were dumbfounded. They had heard the announcer say her name. But they had a reason for going after her.

"That woman….is the Mecha Mouse!?" Rajan asked, the tiger being so confused that he actually let go of his drink.

Raleigh, however, was feeling very enamored towards the woman. "So she's the weaponsmith! How lovely! I like her attire!"

As she began swaying her hips to Mecha Mouse still realized that the visitors were not impressed with what she wore. But that didn't matter. When the song Glamorous by Fergie began playing in the all, she slowly started getting rid of that dress, thus inflaming the passion of the men. She wore relatively little clothing, yet it was more than enough to drive everyone insane. Moving with the rhythm of the song, Mecha Mouse posed herself by the pole, soon pulling a show to everyone's horny content. She even removed her googles and licked her lips in satisfaction.

Money was thrown at the walkabout once she did that and she collected them by sticking them to her panties and stockings. Compared to the other strippers, she got most of the cash.

"WOHOOOOOO! GODDAMN! COME ON, BABE! WORK THAT ASS!" Muggshot, who along with Jean Bison had moved close to the walkaway, chanted.

"YEAH! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, BEAUTIFUL! YOU'RE DOIN' GOOD" Jean Bison joined in.

Mecha Mouse responded by approaching the two muscular brutes, swaying her hips in order to entice them. She then did the unthinkable when she bended over towards them, rewarding their encouragement with a wink.

Muggshot and Jean Bison almost lost their minds. Salvia ran from their dropping jaws and their eyes were hypnotized by Mecha Mouse's movements.

"AH YEAH! THAT'S A FINE BABE, RIGHT THERE!" Muggshot exclaimed with so much horny feelings inside of him.

"RIGHT ON THE BUTTON, PAL! OH, HOW I WISH I HAD SOME COINS ON ME! GETTING A PRIVATE LAPDANCE FROM HER MUST BE EXPENSIVE!" Jean Bison said, feeling a bit let down over the fact.

But the two brutes noticed that Mecha Mouse was on the lookout for someone in the hall. Looking past the horny men wanting to get their hands on her, she smirked once she found the one she was looking for. To the surprise of everyone, she jumped off the walkaway and landed on her heels perfectly. She then approached the man she had her eyes on: Tsao.

At the beginning, Tsao had only watched Mecha Mouse dance with nothing but dismay. But as he got a better look at her, he realized that something was familiar with this stripper/weaponsmith.

"Where have I seen here before?" Tsao had pondered, only to be surprised in seeing Mecha Mouse standing before her.

She faced him with a smug smile. "Hey there, General Tsao! Long time no see! Do you remember me?" she did a pose while winking at him.

Tsao's beak carried a deep frown. "What are you talking about? I have had no dealings with a mere prostitute like…." Tsao snapped once he realized something. "Wait! How do you know of my rank!?" he then demanded from her.

Mecha Mouse giggled and she approached Tsao on his barstool and began rubbing her leg towards him. Obviously, she was trying to tease him with a lap dance.

"Come now, Tsao. Isn't that a bit rude to say" she pouted before looking into his usually cold-hearted eyes. "After all, I was once a damsel in distress because of your stone dragon…" that word alone made Tsao slowly recall the memories.

"You are…" Tsao had flashback of his days in the Kunlun Mountains. "You! You're that little mouse who were with the Cooper Gang and the Panda King! You and that hippo friend of yours ruined my family temple!" he was filled with so much anger and outrage.

The woman got off him, still facing him as if she was trying to seduce him. "Those days are all past now, former general. Now, I'm just a cool weaponsmith. You can call me Penelope…Penelope Van Kinderdijk" she revealed her true name to the man who had once been her enemy.

_To be continued…._


	3. The Dark Side of Justice

**SLY COOPER: SEPPUKU SQUADRON**

**I remember the first day that I become an officer in Japanese law enforcement. That was the biggest day in my life. Growing up, I had strived to fight for what was right. Justice was my deity. But once I eventually married and had two kids, my ideals were tested. The killer who had murdered my family, was only imprisoned and served with 30 years. That to me was a stab in my wounded and grieving heart. It made me rethink my view on concepts such as justice and honor.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Dark Side of Justice**

_Inside a penthouse, on top of one of the tallest skyscrapers in New York City, United States_

Pinga Masayoshi, Vice President of the ICC and the Director of B.A.N.J.O., was currently sitting inside her fancy penthouse on top a tall skyscraper in New York City. While the building was not as tall as the Empire State Building, it still was tall enough to give passing citizens something wonderous to look at. Even though it was night in the sprawling metropolis, there was still lights and signs of life in the city. But inside this penthouse, everything was quiet.

Pinga was currently on her computer in her living room, monitoring the movements of the Seppuku Squadron. Watching the screen, she was studying a map of Lyon. A message was soon sent to her and it came from the database over at B.A.N.J.O.'s HQ. The penguin sat still and listened as carefully.

"_It's just as we thought. The Seppuku Squadron has made it. They've made contact with the weaponsmith: Mecha Mouse aka Penelope Van Kinderdjik_" the man with the date revealed to his superior.

A satisfied smile crept on Pinga's beak. "Excellent. That means we can leave the planning of getting onboard the train to them. With Van Kinderdjik at their side, they will have plenty of assistance in form of strategy and weapons. Still, I will keep in touch with them for the big heist" the penguin explained, yet she was not yet finished speaking to her subordinate. "Now as for you and the others, continue your work at HQ. I'll be arriving there tomorrow" she commanded him.

"_Yes ma'am. But may I ask why you have decided to stay home for this night?_" he then asked her.

"Simple. Tonight's a special case, since some old friends are coming over to stay at my penthouse for the night" Pinga revealed.

"_Oh, I understand. Then we'll see you tomorrow then, ma'am. Goodnight_" those were the last words he said before shutting off.

With the conversation ended, Pinga returned her focus on watching everything that was happening inside France. She was looked at several surveillance videos of different French cities: Paris, Nice, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux. From what she could tell, things were going smoothly.

"Hmm….with tough luck, I'll manage to have Le Paradox in my grasp before the ICC-summit. I do not want anything bad to happen before it begins. That could only compromise both my career and B.A.N.J.O." Pinga noted, realizing how serious it was for her to get the incarcerated skunk. "But how Le Paradox managed to get knowledge on our operations, is beyond me. Either way, he will be executed by my hand before so much as a word comes out of his arrogant mouth" she continued pondering her plans for the skunk.

All of a sudden, a security guard who seemed to be employed at the penthouse entered the living room to seek out Pinga. She took her eyes off her laptop and faced him with her usual serious demeanor.

"What is it?" she questioned him.

"Ma'am. They've arrived. The rest of the directors have arrived on the helipad upstairs" he answered.

Pinga could indeed hear the sound of a helicopter coming from above and it pleased her to the fullest. "Excellent. That means B.A.N.J.O.'s board of directors can begin their own private "summit". Go up stairs and tell them to stay by the helipad. I'll come up and greet them personally" she told the security guard.

"Yes ma'am!" he responded before taking his leave to head upstairs.

With that taken care of, Pinga put her laptop on the table before her. Somehow, she was feeling very happy. This was most likely due to her getting to meet her fellow "directors".

"This is going to be a fun night" Pinga remarked slyly, as she rose up to head towards the stairs leading to the penthouse's helipad.

Given how incredibly wealthy Pinga was, it was no surprise that her penthouse had everything, from a helipad to even a swimming pool. And to think it was so high among the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Then again, she enjoyed a pretty good view from her home.

When she finally went outside to the helipad, Pinga felt high-spirited in seeing four individuals that she knew standing there. The transport helicopter they had arrived with stopped propelling.

"A warm welcome to you all, Bruce McWhite, Eduardo Picadura De La Arena, Aloka Manavy and Kematian Pembalasan" Pinga addressed each of these directors by their names.

Bruce McWhite was a tall and muscular white shark hailing from Australia. His choice of attire was that of a beige trench coat and black chino pants. What was also noticeable was the sharp black sunglasses he wore that concealed his eyes for some reason. He wore them despite the fact that it was dark outside.

Eduardo Picadura de La Arena was a cunning red scorpion hailing from Mexico. His choice of attire was that of a brown poncho, as well as what appeared to be a black cowboy hat and black jeans. Given that he was a scorpion, his sting could be seen raising up from his poncho.

Aloka Manavy was a calm-mannered black bat from Madagascar. His choice of attire was a lamba, rectangular cloth that covered around his body. He also wore a straw hat. Since he was a bat, his wings seemed to have been folded. Then again, he was a mystery to people who knew him.

Kematian Pembalasan was a muscular Komodo dragon from Indonesia. His choice of attire consisted mainly of a black leather, white t-shirt and chino pants. He seemed to have long hair that swept off to one side of his face. For some reason, he wore dark gloves.

These four individuals each smiled in seeing Pinga approach them. She began first by approaching Bruce. The shark immediately grabbed her hand and planted a tenderly kiss on it, much to her amusement.

"Hello, Shelia! Been a long time, I reckon" Bruce spoke up in his straight Australian accent.

Pinga faced him with an amused expression. "Indeed, it has, old friend. I assume that you know the reason why I called you here" she informed him.

Bruce responded by giving her his toothy grin. "Now, now, Pinga. We can discuss this after this meeting" he told her before he entered the penthouse.

With that said, Pinga moved to Eduardo, who quickly took off his cowboy hat in respect towards the penguin. Apparently, the scorpion was keen on showing her his manners.

"Buenos noche, Pinga Masayoshi. I'm amazed that you have managed to gather us all once again. Then again, that is to be expected from our dearest friend and comrade" Eduardo spoke up.

The smile on Pinga's beak never faded away. "Believe me, Eduardo. I know that fact already. Now before you enter, please refrain from smoking inside the penthouse. We have this place and the terrace should you need a smoke break" she politely requested.

Eduardo chuckled at her in response. "Of course, señorita. Always for you" the scorpion said before making his move towards the penthouse.

Pinga moved on to greet Aloka. The bat, who had previously expressed a silent demeanor, immediately smiled in seeing Pinga. Clearly, they did have a good relationship.

"We meet again, old friend. How was your journey?" Pinga asked him.

"It was splendid. But my journey is still not finished just yet, Pinga" Aloka informed her, closing his eyes for some reason. "I will not rest until those murderers have been brought to justice" the bat added.

Pinga weakly nodded her head in understanding. "Of course. I can fully sympathize with your pain. I've been there too, you know" she remarked, forming her beak into an encouraging smile. "But until then, how about we spend some time together, just like old times?" she then questioned him.

"I would be an honor. I look forward to see what you have in store for us" Aloka responded before entering the penthouse.

This left Pinga alone with the final guest to receive: Kematian. He grinned as he saw her approaching him. The look this Komodo dragon had reminded her of a rock star. However, she knew him better than anyone else.

"Kematian. Still as sneaky, I see" Pinga "complimented" him.

"And you're still the same lovely shieldmaiden as I know" Kematian responded, thus earning him a glare from Pinga. He chuckled at her as if it wasn't meant personally. "Come on, Pinga. You know I'm just teasing you. No way that I would ever hit on a widow" he insisted.

The deep frown on Pinga's beak turned upside down. She seemed pleased by his answer. "Good to know. Now let's go inside, shall we? There is must that I wish to discuss with you" she informed Kematian.

"You lead the way, milady" the Komodo dragon responded in return.

Pinga took Bruce, Eduardo, Aloka and Kematian to her living room. The so-called summit of B.A.N.J.O.'s board of directors could finally begin. The penguin took the initiative, deciding to start with what problems they were facing.

"I've called you all to this meeting for a very specific reason. It involves around our operations" Pinga revealed to her visitors. "As you all know, B.A.N.J.O.'s operations are done in hiding from both INTERPOL and the ICC. And we all know that. Those two police entities cannot be trusted to deal with the matters of organized and global crime. We five along with many others are the only ones who know where true justice lies" she then explained.

Most of her fellow directors seemed to be in agreement of what was said. Aloka and Bruce seemed particularly disgusted with the two organizations being mentioned.

"I hear you, Pinga. Them idiots always cling to their worthless and meaningless ideals such as honor. Since when is that something to hold onto. As far I know, criminals have none" Aloka expressed his distaste with the current affairs of INTERPOL.

Bruce adjusted his sunglasses, which he still wore while being inside the penthouse. "Bloody Oath, mate" he spoke in such cold voice.

"Now that reminds me" Kematian spoke up before facing Pinga. "That idiot President Gregory Maximoff…..he still has no idea what we're doing, yes?" he was asking about the current President of the ICC.

A smirk crept on Pinga's beak. "Why, of course. Given how too much oblivious that imbecile is, he seems to blindly trust me for what I do" she revealed, only for her smirk to turn upside down. "Still, we must make sure that neither him nor INTERPOL gets wind of our operations. And that leads us to our potential whistleblower" she revealed before tapping on her tablet computer.

It began showing a holographic picture of Le Paradox. Bruce adjusted his sunglasses to get a better look at what he was seeing.

"Of course. Cyrille Le Paradox" Bruce remarked, feeling somewhat displeased with what he was seeing. "I still can't understand how INTERPOL could've let him do as he pleased. Those whackers should've known better, given that he's the son of former Master Thief: Paul Le Paradox" he expressed his dismay with INTERPOL.

"That's what we call the blue wall of silence" Aloka remarked.

"But I still don't understand" Eduardo spoke up. "How could someone as pompous as that zorillo gain knowledge about B.A.N.J.O.? From whom did he receive that information?" the scorpion wondered.

"Isn't hat obvious?" Kematian said, everyone's eyes focused upon him. "When Le Paradox managed to convince the international community about his royalty, he must've gotten some level of info of INTERPOL, ICC and all other institutions. But something does make me suspicious. If he already knew, why not reveal everything? Whatever his reasons, we cannot let that scammer do as he please" he revealed what his opinions were.

Pinga weakly nodded her head before tapping on the screen of her tablet computer once again. "Exactly. Which is why I've taken the liberty to "enlist" some aid to bust out Le Paradox and bring them to us. Just take a look and see" she revealed.

The other directors got to see holographic pictures of each member of the Seppuku Squadron. And of course, all their current statuses were alive. None of them were dead.

"I present to you: the Seppuku Squadron. Since they are already a bunch of convicts, I see no wrong in using them to free Le Paradox" Pinga introduced them.

Bruce mused to himself. "Now ain't these a bunch of swaggers? From the Fiendish Five: Walter Raleigh, Bill Mugg and Ruby Mambo. And from the Klaww Gang: Rajan Sunderbans, Sorina Pavouk and Jean Bison. All of them working on the same team" he called out the names of those individuals.

"And not to mention these two: Octavio Pavarotti and Tsao Nezha. They have no prior affiliation to any of these criminal syndicates" Eduardo pointed out.

Pinga nodded her head in agreement. "True. But you know as well as I do why those two are the ones that were brought onto the group, do you?" she reminded him.

"Certainly. Several of these criminal scumbags are either dead or have been "rehabilitated" as INTERPOL say they are" the scorpion answered with distaste.

The tablet computer began showing holographic pictures of several people that had been affiliated with crime before and what status they were.

_Name: King Pang aka "the Panda King"_

_Sex: Male_

_Former occupation: Demolitionist of the Fiendish Five_

_Place of origin: China_

_Status: Rehabilitated_

_Name: Dimitri Lousteau_

_Sex: Male_

_Former occupation: Spice distributor of the Klaww Gang_

_Place of origin: France_

_Status: Missing in action._

_Name: Arpeggio Fowler_

_Sex: Male_

_Former occupation: Leader and Chief inventor of the Klaww Gang_

_Place of origin: United Kingdom_

_Status: Deceased. _

_Name: Neyla Bandipur_

_Sex: Female_

_Former occupation: Double agent of the Klaww Gang_

_Place of origin: India_

_Status: Deceased_

"Ah, it's a good thing that Constable Neyla is no longer alive. Who knows, she could've potentially done something to ruin our operations" Kematian expressed his relief in how Neyla was no longer a threat to their operation.

"Yes. But the fact that INTERPOL failed to discover how she was a double agent for the Klaww Gang only confirms our observation: that organization is rotten to the core" Aloka spoke his misgivings.

"Alright then. Back to the matter at hand" Bruce made sure the board of directors got back to the main focus. "Pinga. Are you saying that this Seppuku Squadron you've amassed are up to the task? They are nothing more than common criminals" he asked the penguin a serious question.

"Without question, Bruce. After all, I hold their lives in my hands" Penga answered before putting forth a switch that could had one large red button. "I understand how criminals can sometimes be "uncooperative", so I have planted a nano bomb in each member of the Seppuku Squadron. Should they defy me, a single press on this button will end their lives" she explained.

Her fellow directors were greatly amused with what she had done. Some of them even laughed sadistically by hearing it. It was odd, since they were suddenly beginning to sound like the very things they despised.

"Muy bien! I like that idea you have" Eduardo praised Pinga's method.

Kematian was also laughing. "You're one sick twisted individual, Pinga Masayoshi. But what the hell, I like it!" he used humor to compliment his colleague.

Pinga was feeling very pleased with herself. She held up her glass of champagne, encouraging the other directors to do the same thing.

"So in the event of all this, I say a toast to our continued business and the interest of absolute justice on this world" Pinga told them.

"CHEERS!" all the directors said in unison before drinking.

And so, this board of directors enjoyed themselves drinking to their hearts' content. They were confident about the Seppuku Squadron being able to do the dirty work for them. But only time would tell whether these members of INTERPOL's dark branch would see their reputation being kept secret from the rest of the world.

* * *

_Inside what appears to be a underground laboratory, Lyon, France_

The Seppuku Squadron had been ordered to meet with their contact in Lyon: a weaponsmith by the name of Mecha Mouse. But that was secretly a codename used by Penelope Van Kinderdjik when she was entertaining men at the strip club called "Le Butin". Penelope was no stranger, given that she had once been a member of the Cooper Gang before joining forces with Le Paradox. But in reality, she was merely using him.

Right now, Penelope was leading every member of the Squadron to what appeared to be an elevator, which took them underground. The young mouse glanced over at the gang in a smug manner, despite the cold reception she was getting from them, minus Raleigh, Muggshot and Jean Bison.

"You've no idea how long I've waited for you to show up. And sorry about the place of meeting. These days, teasing a bunch of horndogs is how I can earn some cash besides creating weapons" Penelope explained to them.

Most of the criminals were facing her suspiciously. However, the one who was perhaps most antagonistic towards her was Tsao. He still remembered how Penelope had aided the Cooper Gang and the Panda King in ruining his wedding plans.

"You should give me one good reason not to kill you! And don't think for a second that your supposed "feminine charms" can sway me! I'll never forgive you for what you've done!" Tsao snapped, his fists resisting the urge to snap Penelope's neck.

"Woah, easy there, young feller!" Jean Bison encouraged Tsao, yet the Chinese rooster ignored him.

But Jean Bison was not the only one to step in. "Honestly, chap. Didn't your parents ever tell you that this is no way to speak to a lady?" Raleigh chimed in.

"Yeah! Ain't no way that I'm letting you put your hands on a hottie like her!" Muggshot joined in on reprimanding Tsao's misogynism.

The other members of the Squadron were displeased with seeing the three getting all chummy with Penelope, especially the Contessa and Mz. Ruby.

"Idiots! Can't you think with anything else besides your reproductive systems!?" the Contessa berated both Muggshot and Jean Bison.

"And I can't help but to wonder whether you are starting to have some hots for that little mouse. Ain't that right, Raleigh!?" Mz. Ruby started teasing the frog about his attitude towards Penelope.

Raleigh responded with a formal huff at the alligator. "I have no idea what you are speaking of" he replied.

As the elevator continued moving downwards, Penelope felt the need to ease up tensions between herself and the Seppuku Squadron. She turned around to face them.

"I can assure you guys, that I am 100% on your side. While I may have been a member of the Cooper Gang, that's all in the past. Truth be told, that gang isn't as what they claim to be" Penelope told them.

This left all the criminals confused at her words, yet some of them remained skeptical.

"And what do you mean by that, signorina?" Octavio questioned suspiciously.

Penelope smirked. "Simple. At the end of day, the Copper Gang is always centered on a Cooper. Not to mention, the other gang members are only being used. Their potentiality as individuals are taken away, all because of some selfish schemes. I can attest to that, having not just been with Sly Cooper, but also by studying the works of a mad scientist" she revealed.

"A mad scientist…hmmmm…that sounds…..familiar somehow" Raleigh admitted, before something hit in his head. "Wait! I think I remember him! Is it who I think it is…" the frog was recalling someone he had heard about.

"You're correct, Raleigh. I'm referring to the mad scientist, as well as the brains behind the original Cooper Gang: Dr. Monty Jekyll, also known in the underworld business as Dr. M" Penelope revealed, telling them the name of a former enemy she and the Cooper Gang had fought. As she told the Squadron about him, Penelope felt herself feeling embittered as she remembered what she had learned. "As smart as he was, Dr. M eventually allowed his hatred towards the Coopers to consume him, probably similar to Le Paradox and Clockwerk. But for all his blind rage, he had a good point about the Coopers. They built their legacy at the expense of others' success. That's the reason why I cut bond with the Cooper Gang. If only that fool Bentley could see it that way" she remembered the turtle she had once loved.

None of the criminals understood what Penelope was trying to tell them, yet they didn't care. Her past with the Cooper Gang was no business of theirs, well except for Tsao.

"I don't care whether you betrayed them or not, I still won't forgive you for what you did back in the Kunlun Mountains!" Tsao snapped.

Penelope faced the rooster in a smug manner. "But Tsao, you wouldn't want to kill me, would you? After all, I'm supplying you and your cohorts with weapons for your mission. There's no need to feel so ungrateful" she said before making sure that nobody could hear her. "And I could perhaps help you get rid of those nano-bombs in your necks" she then whispered.

This surprised everyone in the Seppuku Squadron. But before they could even respond to her claim, the elevator stopped. The doors opened and Penelope lead them inside to what appeared to be a high-technological laboratory. It was amazing, considering how it lied underneath a rundown warehouse. There was machines and all kinds of activity happening her, including the production of weapons and what appeared to be robots.

"Welcome to my underground lab, Seppuku Squadron. I trust you will find it to your liking soon enough" Penelope told them, feeling somewhat proud to show these criminals of what her business was underneath the streets of Lyon. "So far, those fools at INTERPOL has failed to discover this location. Not even B.A.N.J.O. knows the specifics. After all, I kept it secret from Masayoshi" she then revealed as she showed them her operations.

Raleigh was delighted to see all these machines. "Fascinating! To think all of this can exist underground! I mean, look at all these machines!" the frog's eyes were full of glee.

But the Contessa was not as impressed. "Hmmm, I've seen worse" she spoke, although her cohorts couldn't help but to wonder whether she was disguising her admiration.

As they continued walking down the lab, Muggshot and Jean Bison were curious about their surroundings. They even had the audacity to stretch a finger out towards what appeared to be electricity. But like two dumb kids, they suffered the consequences by getting shocked.

"EYOUCH! THAT HURT!" Muggshot cried while sucking sore finger.

"YEAH! WHAT IN TARNATION WAS THAT!?" Jean Bison caressed his own hand.

Rajan growled with displeasure in what he saw them doing. "Imbeciles. Can you not see how dangerous it is to touch it!?" the tiger berated them.

Jean Bison didn't appreciate the tone of Rajan's voice. "Mind your own damn business, Rajan! You ain't the boss of us!" he hit back.

Such rudeness only added fuel to Rajan's anger. But before he could even open his jaws to scream, Tsao stepped in to make them stop.

"Come along now, simpletons. If you want the weapons, then follow us" Tsao coldly told the two.

Surprisingly, both Muggshot and Jean Bison obeyed and caught up to the group. Rajan was starting to feel jealous towards Tsao, given that he had just managed to bring those two meatheads under his command. The very thought of taking orders under someone young like Tsao irked him.

Penelope took the Seppuku Squadron into a room where lots of weapons was put in place. The young mouse seemed more than pleased with explaining to them what those weapons were. She could even see how curious the criminals were.

"Behold, my friends. These are the weapons I've been working at Masayoshi's commission! They will be helpful with your mission" she revealed, walking by each pile of weapons that she had stashed. "And don't worry about the confusion of which is yours. I've already placed markers on to show you" she then told them.

With that said, each member took their time to try out the weapons Penelope had laid out for them. In addition to that, they had also been given some outfits to put on. The Seppuku Squadron would use those while on the mission. It was more preferable than the jail uniform.

Penelope took her time inspecting each member, willing to share with them info about these weapons.

Raleigh was fascinated with what he was seeing. It was what appeared to be a jetpack with wings. In addition to that, the jetpack also had turrets and missile launchers. The frog with the tophat seemed pleased.

"What a spectacular jetpack you have created here, milady! It feels like I could almost kiss you!" he exclaimed as he started testing out the jetpack.

"I'm glad you approve, Raleigh. This jetpack was based upon a model previously built by Dr. M. But I've yet to make some adjustments. However, given that you are a machinist, you can probably fix that, can you?" Penelope explained.

Raleigh eagerly nodded his head as a yes. "Certainly, Penelope. My knowledge in these matters is unmatched" the frog responded before landing with his jetpack.

Muggshot had been given a chaingun, and the bulldog was greatly satisfied with it. While the chaingun was heavy, it was no problem for someone as brawny as Muggshot. He carried it with ease. In addition to the chaingun, he was also wearing gloves with brass knuckles.

"OH YEAH! NOW THIS BABY'S A FINE GUN!" Muggshot exclaimed before pointing the weapon upwards. He fired it, wanting to test out its firepower. Seeing the bullets being shot repeatedly made him satisfied. "I JUST LOVE THE SMELL OF GUNPOWEDER! NOBODY STANDS A CHANCE AGAINST ME NOW!" he continued to boast with pride.

Penelope felt the need to inform Muggshot about his weapon. "Remember, that chaingun gets heated very quickly! So you must be careful when you fire it! And do not forget about your strength as well" she explained.

Muggshot grinned at her in a manner which seemed to indicate he was being flirtatious. "I got ya, babe! And thanks for this weapon! I'll have to make it up to you, somehow" the bulldog realized, yet Penelope had already moved on to the next member.

Mz. Ruby wore what appeared to be a necklace made out of bones. In addition to that, she also held a red crystal ball. The alligator grinned as she looked into it. The voodoo priestess knew just how to use those things as weapons.

"Now, that's more like it! I've been feelin' naked without these!" Mz. Ruby said, only to put out something in her hands. It was what appeared to be voodoo dolls made out of straw. "And I happen to know how I can use my voodoo to my advantage against the police!" she exclaimed, feeling like her old self again.

"That sounds…wonderful, Mz. Ruby" Penelope remarked with slight unease.

But the voodoo priestess glanced at her with a smirk forming on her jaws. "I suppose that I owe ya a huge thanks, little missy! Because of your generosity, I won't ever plan on usin' my mojo upon you!" Mz. Ruby told the scientist/weaponsmith. Penelope decided to move on to next member.

Rajan was grinning psychotically in what he had been given as his weapons. It was a pair of metallic claws. They were even electric, something the tiger took great pleasure in. He had also been given what appeared to be several grenades and bombs. There was no telling how much powder these bombs had inside.

"At last, after all these years of humiliation…RAJAN HAS RETURNED!" the old tiger exclaimed loudly, laughing like a maniac in the process.

Knowing how Rajan was getting to arrogant to even listen to her advice, Penelope decided to move on. Considering how Rajan was one of the Squadron's lieutenants, he knew how to use his weapons wisely.

The Contessa was wearing a black bodysuit, but that was not her weapon. Her weapon was in the form of black googles. While they did look particularly ordinary, they were in secret hypno-googles. Given how the Contessa was a hypnotist, it was no secret that she would be given a weapon like those. And she also had her own ability of creating web.

"I must say" the Contessa remarked as she observed things through her hypno-googles. You've made the perfect weapon just for me, Penelope Van Kinderdjik. I cannot thank you enough" the black widow complimented the weaponsmith.

Penelope smirked in return. "I appreciate your compliment. But remember, you must look your targets directly in the eye if you hope to hypnotize them" she informed her.

The Contessa chuckled to herself. "That won't be a problem. Especially as long as I have these fools as my comrades in this ridiculous Squadron" she assured Penelope.

Jean Bison, had been given two weapons: an axe and a lasergun. But the axe was something the bison could easily carry on his back. It was the lasergun which was the main weapon. Being a lumberjack, Jean Bison knew just how lasers was used in terms of cutting woods. Much like Muggshot's chaingun, the lasergun itself was heavy. But Jean Bison had no problem carrying it. Truth be told, he had carried worse.

"HOLY SMOKES! JUST IMAGINE ALL THE TREES I COULD CUT DOWN WITH THIS BAD BOY!" Jean Bison exclaimed, deciding to test out the weapon on a nearby table. Aiming the lasergun, the bison fired the razor-sharp beam on the object. In few seconds, the table was cut in two, all thanks to the laser. "OH YEAH! THOSE COPS WON'T STAND A CHANCE AGAINST ME!" he was so confident in his newfound weapon.

"While I do appreciate your liking to the lasergun, I must advice you to take caution when firing it. Remember, that beam can slice through metal, as well as living bodies. Just be careful not to hurt your comrades" Penelope pointed out.

But the bison was already in his own world. Furthermore, he once again attempted to charm Penelope with his muscles. But as always, she was not amused.

"So then, Penelope. Wanna see me throw that axe? I was a champion in that back in Canada" Jean Bison said, only to realize that Penelope was ignoring him. That only made him confused. "What? Come on, give ol' Jean Bison some love, would ya?" he moped in seeing this.

Octavio was now examining his weapon. The lion seemed to have been given some kind of a sound generator to have all over his body. He grinned to himself in seeing how it fit and laughed in the process.

"Ah, it's good to be back in the business! With this sound generate all over my body, my song and voice are increased!" Octavio exclaimed, only to test it out by singing. When that happened, a powerful soundwave was emitted from his singing voice. The tenor was pleased with the results. "Splendido! With this, I can reduce every fool who dares standing in my way to deafness! And if not, then they will feel my wrath!" he added, laughing as he realized how he was reliving his old days.

Penelope, knowing how Octavio understood his own weapon, left the narcissist to do as he pleased. Octavio was the other lieutenant in the Squadron, so she would have to put her confidence in him. In fact, she was more curious to see how Tsao was receiving his weapon.

The Chinese rooster was being given both a spear and a shield. And of course, the shield was more than a defense mechanism. It also had blades slashing out all around it. In fact, Tsao even tossed it as if it was a boomerang. Without any issues, he grabbed the shield, even with its blades sticking out.

"So, do you like your weapons, Tsao? I know that they can't replace the originals, but it's better than nothing, wouldn't you agree?" Penelope smugly questioned him.

Tsao glanced at the mouse with his hawkish eyes. Judging by this look, one would assume that the former general was about to kill someone. Yet for some reason, he managed to stay his hand. Still, Tsao was not receptive towards Penelope.

"You have done your work well, Penelope Van Kinderdjik. Continue to do that, and I may reconsider my decision to kill you" he coldly told her.

"Well, it's a start" Penelope noted, pretending that Tsao's ruthlessness was not getting into her.

With each member of the Squadron now possessing weapons, it was time to begin the attack. They had to plan on how to get onboard the armoured train, as well as how to free Le Paradox and get him out of INTERPOL's reach. And of course, Penelope seemed more than happy to assist them.

"Alright. Before you came here, I managed to track the train's movement through France. From what I understand, it will take a quick stop here in Lyon before proceeding to Marseille" Penelope explained while showing them a map of the country, as well as the route the train was taking.

"So, we're getting onboard that train while it stops here? Tch, this will be a piece of cake" Muggshot said.

"No. Trying to get on the train here will only end up in disaster. Bear in mind that INTERPOL has reinforcements they can draw from here in Lyon. That could only jeopardize our mission" Tsao expressed his opposition.

The Contessa smirked. "Hmmm, clever boy. He speaks the truth" she remarked.

Jean Bison scratched the back of his head, feeling somewhat confused. "Then how're we supposed to get onboard, then? It ain't the smartest choice in doing it while the train is on the move" he spoke in support of Muggshot.

"But it may be our best course of action, my woolly friend" Raleigh chimed in. "If we can get onboard while it runs outside the city, we will have no problems with the guards calling on reinforcements" the frog pointed out.

"And I have a perfect suggestion on where we could get onboard the train. But its further away from the city" Octavio explained. "At the very least, it is on the countryside, where the river Rhône runs by" the former mafia boss pointed out.

"Then that settles it! We go for infiltrating the train when it leaves the city" Rajan spoke up.

Penelope was amused with how quickly these criminals were starting to work together as a team. But she noticed the Squadron giving her suspicious looks. Apparently, they wanted to know something more from her.

"Now then. We heard what you whispered on the elevator" Tsao pointed out, his eyes narrowing at the mouse. "From what you were trying to say, you wanted Le Paradox to yourself" he added.

"Correct. While I know that your mission is to deliver him to Masayoshi, I would rather prefer that you give him to me instead. After all, I have a bone to pick with that slimeball. He owes me after what I've done for him" Penelope revealed.

Still, the members of the Squadron were not convinced by her argument. They had barley even met her and they were still uncertain about whether Penelope was loyal to herself or to Pinga.

"And why should we listen to you? How do we know that you are not in league with B.A.N.J.O.? They hired you to creature those weapons for us" Rajan began interrogating her.

Penelope smirked at Rajan's question. "Weren't you listening earlier? I know that penguin holds the fate of your lives in her hands. But unbeknownst to her, I happen to have a solution to your dilemma. You see, I know a way to get rid of those nano-bombs without resorting to a operation" she secretly revealed to them.

Tsao, Rajan and Octavio remained doubtful, but the same thing couldn't be said for the rest of the Squadron. They kept getting more and more intrigued with Penelope and her willingness to assist them with their objectives. Also, her offering to help them remove the nano-bombs only made it more tempting to trust her. After all, they had even less love for Pinga and her twisted organization. She was nothing more than a corrupt policewoman.

"Very well. Because of that penguin not eavesdropping on us, and you not being affiliated with INTERPOL or other police organizations…..we will hear what you have to offer. But make it quick. I have little patience for sneaky women!" Tsao responded.

Penelope's smirk never faded away. "Excellent. Then allow me to enlighten you on how you could actually break free of B.A.N.J.O. and your prison sentences for that matter" the young mouse revealed to them. "I promise that if you deliver Le Paradox to me….I'll help you get rid of the nano-bombs. And believe me, I'm a woman of my word. Therefore, I'm more trustworthy compared to that pompous penguin and the other directors within B.A.N.J.O." she pointed out to them.

"Other directors? I thought Pinga Masayoshi was the only one" the Contessa noted.

"Well, that's where you're wrong, Contessa. In reality, B.A.N.J.O. is being controlled by what we can call a "board of directors". This group is the most corrupted and twisted within INTERPOL itself" Penelope revealed.

Mz. Ruby laughed in what she was hearing. "So you're tellin' us that you wanna expose INTERPOL for what it is!? Well, I'm in! Tell us more about them" the alligator requested.

"Certainly, Mrz. Ruby" Penelope responded. "The rest of you may take notes as well. It could be useful with regards to your mission" she then encouraged them.

_To be continued…._


	4. On the Runaway

**SLY COOPER: SEPPUKU SQUADRON**

**I used to believe that wrongdoings were illegal. Not to mention, they were punishable by death. And yet, INTERPOL has the audacity to treat criminals with such civility. The very thought of such blind compassion enrages me. This is not how criminals are supposed to be treated as. What they deserve is a cold and quick death.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: On the Runaway **

_Inside a penthouse in a tall skyscraper, New York City, USA_

Pinga was in a white traditional kimono as she got up from bed and entered her bathroom. Apparently, she had been sleeping. But now, she was awake. As the penguin kept washing her face, she failed to notice someone standing the doorway of the bathroom. But Pinga didn't seem to mind, she was only amused. This was the man she had been sleeping with for the night.

"G'day, gorgeous" it was Bruce McWhite, one her fellow directors at B.A.N.J.O. The muscular shark was still wearing his sunglasses on. "I reckon you slept well. That dinner we had yesterday sure made me stuffed. Not to mention how the champagne almost made me full" he told her.

Pinga smirked as she faced him. "Only because you ate almost everything, Bruce" she pointed out.

"Fair dinkum" the shark responded in a laidback manner. "Say, is Eudardo and the others still asleep? I haven't heard anything in the hallway" Bruce then wondered.

In response, Pinga leaned herself upon Bruce's muscular torso and abs. "They're adults, Bruce. We don't need to supervise them" she insisted, only to notice the sunglasses. "And I see that you're still wearing these sunglasses" she added.

"Is that distracting you? You know, I can take them off if you….." Bruce was about to take them off, only for Pinga to hold his hands.

"Not at all. In fact, I just find those sunglasses suitable for you" Pinga insisted, yet she suddenly started acting quite sultry. "And I also know that lies beneath them" she added.

Seeing this made Bruce grin at her in an amused manner. "Oh, you're one naughty seductress, Pinga. I like that" the shark complimented her. "Say, mind if I go grab me some tucker? I'll see what I can find?" he then asked.

"Knock yourself out. I'll be right there" Pinga responded.

Bruce then went for the kitchen, the shark opening the fridge to find something to eat. He was happy when he saw what appeared to be some chicken wings. He took them out and threw them in a microwave. For drinks, the shark grabbed himself a can of beer to drink. He enjoyed after taking slurp.

"Ah, there's nothing like a cold tinny in the morning" Bruce admitted as he waited for the microwave to finish.

"How was your night, amigo?" the shark looked over his shoulder to see his two of his comrades standing there. It was Eduardo Picadura De La Arena and Kematian Pemblasan. The scorpion was facing is friend rather smugly. "I take it she was determined and rough in bed as usual" he added.

Scoffing at Eduardo's smugness, Bruce focused his attention on the chicken wings in the microwave. "Mind your own bizzo, Ed. What we do in the bedroom is strictly private" he responded back.

"But I still don't get how Pinga was chose you to be her new man. I mean, all of us are as equally strong and muscular. What do you have that I lack?" Kematian wondered, feeling a little jealous.

"Believe me, mate. You really don't wanna know" Bruce answered the Komodo dragon plainly.

Suddenly, their comrade Aloka Manavy entered the kitchen. He had overheard their brief discussion.

"What's all this about Pinga?" the bat asked his fellow directors.

Eduardo pointed one of his claws at Bruce. "I suggest you ask this charming knight in armor over there" he advised Aloka.

But the muscular bat didn't seem to find any amusement in this. "What they do is none of our concern, Eduardo. Pinga has already decided that" he informed him.

Kematian grinned at Aloka. "You're just saying that because you still have hots for her as well!" he pointed out. The bat glared at him, yet it only encouraged Kematian to get under his skin. "Be honest, Aloka. You've always wanted to tap her…." Kematian stopped once Aloka erupted.

"I will not put up with such foolishness! And you have some guts talking like that behind Pinga as well!" he snapped, not appreciating the way Kematian spoke about not just him, but Pinga as well.

"Indeed, Aloka. That's really inappropriate" Pinga said, already standing in the kitchen fully dressed. The female penguin directed her serious gaze upon Kematian. "And as for you, Kematian. I would prefer if you kept that mouth of yours in check!" she addressed him.

Still, the Komodo dragon dismissed as if it wasn't bothering him. "Come now, Pinga. You know me. I'm just a man who loves to get on everybody's nerves. You know that I don't mean that personally" he insisted, yet neither Pinga nor the other directors seemed to buy it.

"Tch, what a wanker" Bruce murmured, hearing the microwave peeping. He opened it to grab the plate with chicken wings. "Alright! Anyone up for some chook wings?" he asked those around him before taking one.

"I'll take one. Just make sure that you won't succumb to your bloodlust" Eduardo said, mocking the white shark and his fondness for meat.

"Rack off!" Bruce responded to the scorpion's insult.

Pinga stepped in between her allies. "If I may have your attention, gentlemen. Today's the day it finally happens" the penguin revealed with a cunning smirk on her beak. "The Seppuku Squadron will be boarding the INTERPOL-train headed for Marseille and free Le Paradox. As such, it's time that we followed with the events. We'll eat breakfast and then head out to HQ to observe the operation" she then told them.

Most of her fellow directors seemed to be in agreement with this. But Aloka seemed to have some doubts. "While I do admire your idea, I am afraid that I must ask you this: what if the Seppuku Squadron was to turn against us?" he asked a frank question to the woman.

As serious as Aloka's question sounded, Pinga's smirk on her beak never faded. "Don't worry. I've always been prepared for the worst. But that is something we have to focus on should their betrayal become official" she said, making sure her cohorts listened as well. "Furthermore, we may as well start our own move. Those fools will assume that we'll be staying in New York for all the time" she mused cunningly.

Bruce ate the entire chicken wing. Even the bone was crunched to bits by his teeth. "Yeah. Criminals are not the type of people to entrust things with. And with people like Penelope Van Kinderdjik and Cyrille Le Paradox being involved…there's no guarantee that things will go our way" he agreed with Pinga's assessment.

Kematian chuckled in what appeared to be sadistic. "Then we might as well go over there and kill them ourselves! Leave no witnesses! Not any of them shall survive to tell of B.A.N.J.O.'s existence" he suggested to his allies.

"The only problem is those INTERPOL-agents onboard that train" Aloka said, catching everyone's attention. "The one supervising the guard is Commissioner James Barkley. While he's nothing but a bad-tempered man, he is an obstacle to our plans as well" the bat pointed out.

Eduardo could be heard chuckling sadistically. "Ah, I see. That fatheaded idiot is the supervisor of Carmelita Montoya Fox….." the scorpion was speaking strange when it came to the vixen. "A sweet, little princesa, indeed. Reminds me of her late papa…...before he died" he added, recalling back to how he knew Carmelita's dad.

"That's right. You and him shared a history together, unless I am mistaking" Pinga remarked.

"Sì. But that's all in the past now" Eduardo said, holding the bone of his chicken wing in his claw. "The next time I see that little perra…she will die…...just as he did!" he then exclaimed, snapping the bone in half.

"So we know what we must do. Well, are we leaving? I already ate two chicken wings!" Kematian responded while showing two meatless bones.

"All in due time, Kematian" Pinga assured him.

* * *

_Onboard an armored train outside Lyon, France_

Carmelita had slept during the brief stop at Lyon. There had only been an inspection of the train by local police force, as well as making sure that Le Paradox's cell was secured. They were transferring an infamous criminal, so such measures were mandatory.

Luckily, Carmelita had avoided most of this inspection, in part thanks to the Barkley's interference. She was grateful for her superior.

As she looked herself in the mirror, the young vixen washed her face, preparing for a new day of guarding a criminal. But truth be told, she resented doing it. Le Paradox was a scumbag who deserved worse.

"Mierda! I really hope this trip will be over!" Carmelita hoped before exiting the toilet.

Once she was out of her quarters, Carmelita was immediately greeted by the presence of Detective Timmy Winthorp. Not surprisingly, he was as cheerful as he'd always been.

"Good morning, Carmelita!" he said with so much enthusiasm.

Carmelita sighed, yet it wasn't out of annoyance. "Good morning, Winthorp" she replied, still feeling a little sleepy.

"I know that you're feeling quite miserable about guarding Le Paradox and all. Heck, even I can't stand that freak" the weasel admitted to his partner. Winthorp then proceeded to give her a salute. "But rest assured, I'll be at your side whenever you need me! That I promise you" he then assured her.

As much as she found Winthorp's attempts to charm her annoying, Carmelita couldn't help but to be amused by her assistant's enthusiasm. After all, they were partners in law enforcement. And the vixen had no doubt that Winthorp only wanted the best for her.

Walking past the detective, Carmelita patted the weasel's shoulder. This was done as a form of respect towards him.

"Glad to see that you're taking your job seriously for once, Winthorp. And believe me, you're gonna need this enthusiasm while on duty. Keep it up, and you may survive whatever danger you encounter" Carmelita surprisingly informed her partner before taking her leave.

This had only left Winthorp speechless. He was surprised with how Carmelita was willing to pass on such words to him, given how miserable she was yesterday. The detective only saw this as a result of the inspector getting some rest.

"Hah! I knew Carmelita would come around. She's was probably distressed the day because of Le Paradox" he concluded, only to recall the words she had imparted upon him. "But wait a minute. Is she saying that if I keep my guard up…..I may survive any encounter I face? I gotta try and see what happens!" Winthorp was now as enthusiastic as he could ever be.

Carmelita walked through wagons until she was inside the most guarded and secured of them all. It was in the middle between the other wagons. That's why they held it secured, so that it would be difficult to get to it. This secured wagon, which even anti-air defenses on the top, was the one housing Le Paradox's cell. In addition to that, the security inside was tight. Policemen with weapons and armored gear stood ready to beat up anyone daring to free the criminal.

As she entered the secured wagon, Carmelita sighed as she dreaded over the guard duty. "Dios mio. I'm gonna need a deodorant when this is over" she groaned as she walked up the cell.

Commissioner Barkley was already standing there while drinking some coffee. "Ah, good to see you back on duty, inspector. I trust that you had a good long rest" he told her.

Carmelita saluted at him. "Yessir. I'm more than ready to guard that dirtbag" she assured him.

Barkley mused to himself, impressed by his subordinate's devotion to being a cop. "Then I'll leave Le Paradox to you for now. I'll be heading over to the driver's cab to inspect the security there. Have fun with him" the badger said and walked away. But he stopped, feeling that he had forgotten to tell his subordinate something. "And by the way, Carmelita. Whatever insults he throws at you, please don't let those fuel your temper. Think you can do that for me?" the commissioner asked.

The inspector felt embarrassed by this question, yet she knew deep down that her boss had wise words. Weakly nodding at him, she made sure that he would have nothing to worry about.

"Right away, sir. I'll keep that in mind" Carmelita responded, much to the commissioner's satisfaction.

"Glad to hear it. And make sure that Winthorp gets his act together. I don't wanna see him break another thing or screw things over again. I've already got plenty of baloney to worry about. Until later, inspector" Barkley said before exiting the wagon.

With that taken care of, Carmelita approached the prison cell, her eyes narrowing by what she was seeing. Inside it, Le Paradox was lying in his bed, relaxing on it as if he was in a fancy hotel. The skunk smirked in seeing the beautiful vixen standing before the wall of glass.

"Bonjour, Madame Fox. My, you look stunning as you always do. Oh, how I miss being able to grab you by those wide, slender hips of yours" Le Paradox began speaking, trying once again to charm Carmelita.

But she was having none of it. All that he got from her was an angry glare. Still, that didn't seem to affect Le Paradox in the slightest.

"I still can't believe why you keep holding onto those ridiculous feelings towards that inferior racoon. What does he have that I lack?" Le Paradox then questioned her, once again bringing up Sly. "Is it charms? Muscles? Wealth? Just give me an answer, Carmelita" the skunk pressed on.

Carmelita gritted her teeth in response. "That's none of your damn business, Le Paradox" she said, clenching her fists tightly together. "I swear, if this wall of glass hadn't been in the way, I would've kicked your sorry hide to the curb! And I wouldn't have stopped even if you begged for mercy!" the vixen started threatening the prisoner.

However, Le Paradox only laughed in amusement. "Sacré bleu. Such barbarity, Carmelita. Surely you realize that such actions are not appropriate for a policewoman like yourself" he pointed out.

"And what would a common thief like you know about ethics and morals?" Carmelita questioned him.

"I'm a thief, oui. But a common one? Non" Le Paradox flatly pointed out to the inspector. "Besides, how can you preach about ethics and morals when you have personally gotten cozier with the Cooper Gang over the years? Wouldn't that be breaking your oath to the law?" he then questioned her.

When the Cooper Gang was being brought up, Carmelita resisted the urge to either reach for her shock pistol or kick the wall of glass. She remembered Barkley's wise words. That's why she kept her temper leashed for now. Still, she felt obliged to respond to Le Paradox's words.

"Don't get take this out of context, Le Paradox. I only became an ally to the Cooper Gang because we shared a common enemy in you. And since they had their own time machine, I had no choice but to stick with them. Over my dead body would I ever have joined your side. In my view, they were lesser of two devils" Carmelita gave him a clear answer.

Still, Le Paradox was not giving up on getting under her skin. "Is that so? Well, I beg to differ. You claim to despise lawbreakers, yet even to this day…you still keep in contact with the Cooper Gang. That's right, I know all about your calls to that pathetic turtle and the fat hippo!" the skunk revealed, even pointing a finger towards Carmelita.

The vixen felt herself pushed against the wall, given that several policemen were right near her. But surely, they wouldn't believe the claims coming from a criminal such as Le Paradox.

"Don't listen to this fool, men. All able-bodied members of INTERPOL know better than to trust the words of scum like him" Carmelita told the guards, who listened carefully.

"Oh? Then let me ask you this: should people be able to trust the words of a corrupted police officers?" Le Paradox suddenly asked, the expression on his that becoming that of a vicious schemer. "Perhaps you should ask those hypocrites at B.A.N.J.O. for that answer" he revealed.

Hearing that name caused Carmelita's eyes to widen in surprise. She remembered the e-mail Bentley had sent her the other day. B.A.N.J.O. was the thing Bentley described was being related to the corruption within INTERPOL. Yet she knew nothing about the existence of such organization. Wanting to more, Carmelita decided to play this game with Le Paradox.

"Dios mio…how on the world do you know about it? Its existence is supposed to be top secret" Carmelita exclaimed, although she was secretly lying. It was all part of goading the skunk into revealing some important details.

"Ah, I know all about it, Madame Fox. Who hasn't ever heard about the Bureau of Absolute Neverendingly Justice and Order?" Le Paradox asked, deciding to push on. "That's right! B.A.N.J.O. mostly operates independently from INTERPOL, all thanks to its so-called "board of directors". But they wouldn't have succeeded if one of its directors hadn't been a leading member of the ICC" he then continued.

Carmelita, who was putting on this show for Le Paradox, was herself shocked with what she had learned. A secret branch operating outside INTERPOL's authority? And not only that, one its directors were a leading member of the ICC. But who could it be?

"I don't know who you got the information, but you sure know where to poke your nose in business that is not yours, Le Paradox" Carmelita noted.

The skunk was feeling so sanctimonious right now. "Ah, no need to worry about that, mon chéri. In time, I will expose all of INTERPOL's corruption! Then, you and your fools will see that I have the last laugh!" he exclaimed while starting to laugh like a maniac.

However, Carmelita didn't take his threats seriously. As such, she was only encouraged to take a stand against the prisoner she was guarding.

"Don't push your luck, smartass. The only thing that's gonna be exposed, is your huge ego and phony claim of royalty!" Carmelita told the prisoner, starting to feel confident enough. "You can try scheming as much as you want. But at the end of the day, you have no friends or allies left, Le Paradox. You're all on your own…with no one to help you" the vixen pointed out.

Le Paradox scowled in response to her words. "Bah! A thief needs no friends! Such concepts are meaningless in the thief business. And of course, friends are bad for business" the skunk hit back.

Carmelita had to smirk to that claim. "I guess you're right. In fact, that may explain why you failed to keep all the Cooper canes to yourself. You relied on your friends to do your dirty work, while they took the beating. And of course, you ended up getting beaten at the end" the vixen was having fun in doing this.

"Mark my words, chienne! The Le Paradox Clan will rise again! And I neither you, INTERPOL or even the Cooper Gang will deny me that chance!" Le Paradox warned her.

"An unlikely outcome" Carmelita responded, only for someone to enter the wagon. She looked to the side and saw Winthorp entering. "Ah, good to see you, Winthorp" she exclaimed.

The meek weasel nervously smiled in return. "How're you holding up, Carmelita? I came here just to check on you" Winthorp questioned her.

The vixen smiled weakly at him. "I'm fine. That lousy skunk doesn't scare me squat" she said, only for an idea to cross into her mind. "Speaking of which, I need a toilet break. Will you just stand guard here while I'm gone?" Carmelita then asked him.

Not surprisingly, Winthorp quickly saluted before her in return. "Yes, ma'am! Your wish is my command!" the weasel told her in response.

"Can I trust you with this?" Carmelita asked him one more serious time.

"I swear by my mother's grave! I won't leave this wagon until you return, Carmeltia!" Winthorp was as enthusiastic as ever with doing what it took to please the inspector.

Satisfied, Carmelita exited the wagon. She knew that her assistant seemed more than capable of guarding Le Paradox. Besides, there were other guards standing in the wagon. In other words, Winthorp wouldn't be alone with the criminal.

But Carmelita had told Winthorp a white lie. She was not visiting the bathroom. Rather, she had gone back to the personal quarters and gotten on her computer. Carmelita began searching for important details related to INTERPOL and the ICC.

"Thanks to that conniving windbag, I may have a clue on what's happened with INTERPOL lately" Carmelita noted as she tapped on the keypads. "But I must find out who this top member of the ICC that is involved with B.A.N.J.O. is. When it comes to that organization…..there are two key members who are prestigious" she kept searching through the files.

Carmelita then started digging info about two key people within the ICC: President Gregory Maximoff and Vice-President Pinga Masayoshi. She read both files, including how each had been involved in law enforcement in their own countries before joining the ICC. But as impressive as they both sounded, Carmelita was more suspicious about Pinga.

"Pinga Masayoshi…she's always known to be hawkish when it comes to dealing with criminals…" Carmelita noted, recalling to the encounters she had with the penguin. "And not only that…..she's been awfully critical of INTERPOL on numerous occasions. But are those enough to prove she's the one with B.A.N.J.O.? I need more than just personal encounters" the vixen continued, still searching for clues.

Sooner or later, Carmelita would discover whether Pinga was indeed involved in law enforcement's shadowy activities. If correct, it would pose a huge problem on the integrity of INTERPOL and the ICC.

* * *

_On a bridge somewhere outside Lyon, France_

As the armored train kept running down towards its destination, the security onboard failed to grasp what dangers lurked far away from civilization. On top of a bridge, several criminals were standing ready to board on a train that was heavily guarded.

This was the Seppuku Squadron. Having rested in Lyon for the night, its members had traveled early to this location, getting there before the train could. That give them the opportunity to summarize what they had planned yesterday.

Tsao, who was the appointed "captain", made sure that each of member listened to what was being said.

"The time is almost here. You all know what to do! Two squads will board the train on different angles" Tsao informed them while recalling the groups they had made. "The first squad consisting of Rajan, Octavio, Muggshot and Jean Bison will board the train's front wagons. You will be responsible for cutting off reinforcements until we reach the wagon Le Paradox is being held. The second squad consisting of me, Raleigh, Mz. Ruby and the Contessa will board the train's last wagon and try to intercept their communication units. We will make sure that they will be unable to call for reinforcements from a nearby town" the rooster informed everyone.

The members of the Seppuku Squadron were feeling delighted in doing this mission. Having already been given weapons for the job, they relished the chance to kill any cops that had captured them.

"ALRIGHT! I'M READY TO BRING SOME ACTION!" Muggshot exclaimed.

"The feelin's mutual!" Jean Bison agreed.

Even Rajan was feeling as enthusiastic. "To be able to slay cops once again…..how long I've been waiting for this!" the tiger was giving in to his psychotic mood.

The Contessa was not impressed by their attitudes. "Just remember! This is a live or die situation. If we fail to free that Le Paradox, we'll all be dead before the day ends!" she pointed out.

"Ah, ain't you the sentimental one?" Mz. Ruby remarked, yet her cohort ignored the alligator's compliment.

Raleigh, who was already floating with his jetpack, seemed to capture something on what appeared to be his radar. The frog in the tophat smiled.

"Ah, just in time, my friends! The train has arrived!" he announced.

The Seppuku Squadron looked to the over side and saw the train coming towards them. To make sure for preparations, they stood at the edge, ready to jump off the bridge. And of course, they stood in line. The train was driving in a quick pace, yet it didn't bother the criminals one bit.

"Alright! Rajan! Octavio! You two are my "supposed" lieutenants! I do not want you to fail in this mission!" Tsao reminded the two.

Neither Rajan nor Octavio appreciate the tone of the rooster's voice. "Shut up, you big chicken! We will do things our way!" Octavio pointed out, not hiding his resentment towards Tsao.

"We will be in touch with you as we fight our way across the train. And if our calculations are right, we'll regroup at the central wagon where Le Paradox is being held at" Rajan bluntly told his cohorts.

The train was nearing the bridge. The first squad jumped, yet they were not intending to land on the first wagon. They boarded the third one. And given the heavy sizes of both Muggshot and Jean Bison, it created a hole in the ceiling of the wagon.

Those guards who were inside that wagon were surprised with what fell through the ceiling. Some of them were even crushed by whoever fell down. It became dusty for seconds and the guards were cautious.

But the dust cleared once Muggshot started firing his chaingun upon the guards. They were slaughtered in cold blood, yet the bulldog showed no remorse.

"YEEEEEEEHAWW! THIS IS PAYBACK FOR MY TIME SPENT BEHIND BARS, PIGS!" Muggshot yelled.

Rajan was dealing with guards with batons and shields. His electric claws managed to pierce through the shields, while he managed to tear some of the guards to shreds.

"FEEL THE WRATH OF LORD RAJAN!" the tiger roared as blood dripped from his claws.

Octavio used his soundwaves to destroy the hearings of his enemies. That enabled him and Jean Bison to beat them unmercifully.

"Hah! Revenge has never felt so sweeter!" the old lion was in high spirits.

"Save yer breath, Octavio! There's still reinforcements coming at us!" Jean Bison pointed out.

Indeed, from both side, guards were pouring in to find out what was behind all this ruckus. Once they saw criminals that were supposed to be behind bars, some of them desperately tried escaping. It was no use, thanks to Muggshot's chaingun and Jean Bison's laser gun. In fact, Jean Bison's weapon was so powerful that it managed to even slice off some of the guard's bodies. It was horrific to watch.

"Hell yeah! Nobody can withstand this baby!" Jean Bison exclaimed as he "kissed" the lasergun with affection.

Muggshot realized that his weapon was getting overheated. "Aw man! My weapon's getting too hot! I can't fire anymore bullets!" he exclaimed.

Rajan growled. "That's because you ignored the advice the weaponsmith gave you! If you had any brain, you would've thought about using it more wisely!" he berated the bulldog.

But Muggshot did not welcome the tone. "Shut up, old-timer! Mind your own business!" he retorted back.

"Idiotas! What do you think you're doing!?" Octavio stood before the two quarreling criminals. "Remember our mission, we must press on to the next wagon until we reach the one holding Le Paradox!" he pointed out.

Jean Bison grinned as he held up his weapon. "Then I say we get a move on! We're only wasting time standing her arguin'!" he suggested and his cohorts seemed to be in agreement of that.

But as those four were about to exit the wagon, they stopped once they could see reinforcements coming from the other side. The looked over their shoulders to see several armored guards standing there. Leading them was Commissioner Barkley himself. And he was furious as he saw dead policemen lying on the floor. Barkley was also in position of an assault rifle, locked and loaded.

"WHAT IN BLAZES IS GOING ON HERE!? WHOEVER DID THIS WILL SUFFER GREATLY FOR THE DEATHS OF THESE VALUABLE DEFENDERS OF THE LAW!" Barkley roared as he and his men aimed their weapons at the four criminals.

Muggshot only scowled in disgust. "Great. More pigs!" he didn't hide his distaste for law enforcement.

"And it seems their "commander" has finally stepped in" Rajan remarked, forming a cunning grin as he watched Barkley. "This is an opportunity to reduce their ranks to nothing but gutless cowards!" he added to his twisted thoughts.

Barkley was only shocked and horrified once he managed to identify of each these four men. "This can't be…" the badger recognized who they were. "Muggshot, Rajan Sunderbands, Jean Bison and Octavio Pavarotti!? What in the hell are you four doing here!? You're all supposed to be locked up in the Heathrow Penitentiary in the US!" the commissioner was in disbelief.

"Let's just say that we got out early for good behavior" Jean Bison told him.

"Yeah, we played nice and were granted bail" Muggshot joined in on ridiculing their foe.

But Barkley didn't believe a word. "That's all a pack of dirty lies! How did you get here in France!? Who broke you free!?" the commissioner demanded.

Octavio laughed at Barkley's demand. "And you suppose that we will tell you!?" the lion questioned him. "Hah! We have no obligation in answering you stupid cops!" he insulted the badger.

In response, Barkley aimed his weapon at the group of criminals. The guards with them did the same thing. They were ready to shoot them to death.

"NO TIME FOR ARRESTS HERE, MEN! SHOOT THEM DOWN!" Barkley commanded.

Unfortunately, Rajan seemed to have predicted their move. That's why he was holding a stun grenade in his right pow. He quickly threw it on the line of cops.

"HERE'S A GO-AWAY PRESENT! CATCH!" Rajan exclaimed and threw it upon their foes.

Barkley and the guards with him were too slow to react, and they were caught by the stun grenade. It reduced their hearing and vision for brief minutes. That allowed the four members of the Seppuku Squadron to do the unthinkable. Jean Bison readied his lasergun. However, he was not aiming at Barkley and his men.

"STAND BACK, FELLAS! IT'S TIME I SEVER US FROM THE DRIVER'S CAB!" Jean Bison told his cohorts before firing the lasergun.

Moving it in a circle, Jean Bison made sure that the razer-sharp beam itself was cutting a hole in the wagon. In that way, he would then make sure that the rest of the wagons would stop permanently while the first two wagons and the driver's cab would still be rolling the tracks. Once his lasergun stopped, the cut he had created began to take shape.

Barkley and his men were still reeling from the stun grenade, but it didn't take long before they realized how further away they were getting from those four criminals. And not only that, some of the unsuspecting guards had fallen off due to the incredible speed the train was going in. The badger growled is he could see how far they were from the rest of the wagons.

"NO! THOSE…..BASTARDS!" the commissioner angrily yelled, still struggling to get on his feet. "I'll have to stop the driver…get it to reverse its course…." Barkley winced, trying to hold himself despite getting weakened by the stun grenade.

Because of Jean Bison succeeding in severing the diver's cab, the rest of the wagons began to stop permanently. It confused every guard at first, although they had been on the guard since the alarm had gone off.

In the most secured wagon, Winthorp was caught in surprise when he felt the train had stopped moving.

"The train has stopped moving? But why?" the weasel wondered, soon getting approached by one of the nearby guards.

"Sir! We've received message! We have raiders onboard the train! I repeat, we have raiders onboard the train!" he informed Winthorp.

"Raiders!?" the weasel was taken aback by this. "But who could it possibly…" the detective was questioning who could have done that.

"Unfortunately, they weren't able to indemnity them. But all things considered, they've succeeded in stopping the train somehow" the guard pointed out.

That only made Winthorp more fearful, given that he knew who was at the driver's cab. "But the driver's cab…..that's where Commissioner Barkley…." Winthorp was terrified of what could've possible happened with his superior.

But as the detective and the other guards were struggling amidst this confusion, Le Paradox sat in his cell scheming. None of his jailors seemed to realize that he knew who it was that had boarded the train.

"So? You finally decided to make your move, Pinga?" the skunk revealed the name of the Vice-President of the ICC. "Excellent! I was hoping you would send someone at me" he added, starting to laugh like he was some kind of a maniac.

Winthorp and the others couldn't understand why he did that. But all things considered, they were now having stowaways onboard.

_To be continued…._


	5. Everything or Nothing

**SLY COOPER: SEPPUKU SQUADRON**

**Because of me losing faith in INTERPOL, I decided to join the organization I felt was more serious in combating crime: the International Criminal Court. At first, I had high hopes for the ICC, given that they dealt with everything from war crimes to genocides. But sadly, I was also dismayed with what I saw. Rather than giving them the death penalty, these ruthless people were left alive and behind bars. Such idiocy! To let them walk alive is an insult to their victims. But this time, I wouldn't leave the ICC. No, I would reform it into a true weapon of absolute justice.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Everything or Nothing**

_Onboard a train, France_

While their comrades had jumped off to cause ruckus at the first wagons, Tsao, Mz. Ruby, the Contessa and Raleigh were planning on sabotaging their communications from the further wagons in the line. Compared to the rest, the last wagon seemed pretty weakly secured. Still, that didn't mean those troops could potentially become an obstacle to their plans on freeing Le Paradox.

Tsao led both Mz. Ruby and the Contessa through the wagons, while Raleigh was flying above them to deal with the anti-air defense system. It was obvious that the wagon holding Le Paradox would be well guarded, both inside and outside. That's why Tsao had Raleigh be their eyes above the train.

"Alright. We've already gotten onboard. Now, onto the next wagon, where the communication units are!" Tsao told the two ladies as he walked past the unconscious guard that he had taken the moment he boarded the train.

Neither of the ladies seemed particularly pleased with what Tsao had done to that guard. Each of them had their own reasons to feel that way.

"Why did ya have to beat 'im up? I could've used his body as a shield against me!" Mz. Ruby pointed out while holding up one of her voodoo dolls.

"Those dolls of yours are useless! I could've hypnotized him and then force him to reveal everything about this train's security!" the Contessa balked at the alligator.

Mz. Ruby didn't appreciate her tone and attitude. "Watch it, web-head! My voodoo is known to produce some bad mojo! Wanna see me try it on you?" she threatened the black widow.

However, the Contessa was far from intimidated. "Huh. A hapless prestress and her minions are nothing compared to what I can accomplish. With my talents alone, you and them would've followed everything I said" she boasted, mocking Mz. Ruby in the process.

"Ain't no way I'm gonna let that slide so easily!" the alligator retorted.

The two women were really going at it, only for an agitated Tsao to interrupt their bickering.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Tsao barked, his hawkish eyes piercing through the alligator and the black widow. "We are in a life or death situation, and I don't intend on dying because of a quarrel between foolish women like you! Now quit arguing and get to work!" the rooster didn't hold back in expressing his misgivings.

Still, it was more than enough for both Mz. Ruby and the Contessa to set aside their differences. But as much as they agreed with Tsao and how their lives were at stake, the two ladies were also stunned by the ex-general's sexist views.

"I must say, your misogynism knows no bounds, Tsao Nezha" the Contessa admitted.

"Yeah! Ain't no surprise why you're still a virgin" Mz. Ruby agreed with the black widow.

As much as he wanted to discipline the women, Tsao managed to concentrate on their mission at hand. He tapped on the communications device as he moved towards the next wagon.

"Raleigh! What's the situation?" Tsao asked as he and the ladies got outside.

The trio were surprised as they could see the frog fly across them with his jetpack. Apparently, there was something Raleigh wanted to share with his cohorts.

"No need to worry about it, Tsao! Muggshot and the other chaps has severed the driver's cab from this train. Look! Everything has stopped!" Raleigh revealed to them.

It didn't take long for Tsao and the two ladies to realize how true it was. Everything around them had stopped moving and they could see how the wagons were standing still.

"Perfect. That means they succeeded in what we planned. It only makes our mission easier" Tsao was satisfied, yet he knew better than to be so overconfident. "That being said, we must push through their defenses until we reach Le Paradox's cell. Leave none of them standing!" the rooster said as he got onboard the next wagon.

"Ugh. Please let there be more than blood to all this mess" the Contessa complained as she followed Tsao.

Mz. Ruby looked very much forward to the upcoming fight. "I can't wait till I get some volunteers for my friends on the other side" the voodoo priestess expressed her lust before joining up with her cohorts.

Knowing that he was not needed in following them, Raleigh knew what to do. He resumed disposing of the wagons' anti-air defenses. Given that he was machinist, Raleigh knew just how to use the jetpack to his own benefit.

"Since Tsao and the ladies won't be needing my assistance, I might as well take out those anti-air defenses. With tough luck, I could even reach Le Paradox's wagon before they do!" Raleigh exclaimed as he flew in the air and fired his turrets upon the missile launchers.

Meanwhile, Tsao and the two ladies had spotted several guards. They aimed their weapons at them, only for Tsao to throw his bladed shield like a boomerang. Both of them suffered mortal injuries as a result, as getting their heads chopped off was dangerous. With the soldiers gone, Tsao looked to his left and saw a stairway leading to someplace up.

"There is no question. This must be the wagon where they have their communications units" Tsao summarized before facing the two ladies sternly. "You two go upstairs and take them out. Dead or alive, I don't care. But do not allow them to make contact with the nearest police station!" the ex-general told them before continuing on.

"Fine! You don't need to tell us twice!" Mz. Ruby snapped, starting to grow irritated by Tsao's attitude.

The Contessa took her steps up, only to see a guard walking down. He was about to face her. The black widow smirked, coming up with a devious plan. She shot out her web so that the guard was captured by her. Putting on her hypno-googles, the Contessa embraced the guard, facing him in the eye.

"Please, don't tell your friends about us. That's only rude" the Contessa "pleaded" to the guard. She grinned as she started to whisper the words into his head. "Tell me, can you please help a woman in need? I have no one else to turn to" she told him.

Not surprisingly, the hypnotized guard obeyed her commands with a quick nod. The Contessa chuckled deeply, seeing the man being in her sway.

"Excellent. Then listen closely. Here is what you must do" the black widow told him.

In the computer room, most of the guards and the communications unit were already growing suspicious of the reason the train had stopped. But it didn't take long for them to realize that they were being boarded.

"We're being boarded!? By whom!?" one of the leading guards demanded an answer to all this. "Come on, soldier! Do you hear me!?" he tried getting some info from the guards stationed on the other wagons, but to no avail.

None of those seemed to have one, much to his frustration. But all of a sudden, a guard came into the computer room and everyone was curious to know what the current situation onboard the train was.

"You there! What's the current situation!?" the leading guard asked him.

Instead of replying to him, the guard started firing his assault rifle on everyone in the computer room. Even those of the communication unit were shot to death. The other guards were too slow to react, as they didn't expect one of their own to suddenly massacre them.

Unbeknownst to these guards, the shooter had been hypnotized by the Contessa to do her bidding. And right now, he was carrying out this massacre of his comrades on her behest. He paid no heed to this grotesque action.

As a matter of fact, the Contessa and Mz. Ruby appeared from behind the hypnotized guard and they took care of the rest of the security in the computer room. They succeeded in preventing them from contacting the nearest police station. This was apparent, as the Contessa could see one of the gravely injured guards reaching for what appeared to be a red button. Obviously, that was the alarm. Using her web, the Contessa caught his hand, thus preventing the guard from alerting his superiors.

"Not so fast, gentleman. We can't allow anyone to know about our mission" the black widow sadistically smirked as she watched the guard die from his mortal wounds. "Ah, so young…yet so fragile" she chuckled in amusement of watching this.

Meanwhile, Mz. Ruby was already scouring the corpses for what could possibly help her: volunteering zombies. The voodoo priestess seemed pleased with what she was seeing.

"Finally! It's time for me to bring me some zombies for protection!" Mz. Ruby exclaimed, suddenly using her dark magic for something so heinous.

The Contessa only stood and watched this spectacle with a huff. She seemed completely unfazed. "I seriously doubt that a gang of walking corpses will be of use to you. They all fall so easily. This only renders them useless" the black widow pointed out.

Mz. Ruby smirked at her in response. "Oh really? Then how about I try some of my zombies upon you right now!?" the alligator suggested, daring the Contessa.

"There's no time for that" Tsao interrupted the two ladies, as he himself entered the computer room.

"Well, now. I was under the impression that you left us in charge of securing this place" the Contessa asked with her arms crossed.

Tsao responded with a huff. "I don't trust women to finish the job" he replied before approaching the computers. A smirk crept on his beak. "Just as I thought. There are cameras on every wagon. And I see that the other group is making progress with pushing through the defenses" he remarked.

"But what about the prison wagon? From the looks of it, it seems heavily guarded?" Mz. Ruby spoke as she looked at the computer screens.

"That means nothing to us. I will have Raleigh take out the aerial defenses. Furthermore, we might as well even infiltrate that wagon from above" Tsao had already come up with a strategy. "Come now. Let us resume our mission" he then commanded the two ladies to follow him.

Above the wagons, Raleigh was enjoying himself with destroying the anti-air missile launchers atop the wagons. Given the mechanical genius the frog was, Raleigh managed to avoid getting hit, while pinpointing to the weaknesses.

"Hah! Is this the best weapons INTERPOL has to offer!? How laughable!" Raleigh insulted their weaponry.

As he continued flying, he noticed four guards who was trying to make an escape. They had gone off the wagon and was running away from the train tracks. Raleigh could not let them flee, as he knew they would only try making contact with the nearest police station. He activated the sight aim of the jetpack, making sure that the guards were in his sight.

"I'm sorry, chaps. But I can't let you tell anyone about this" he said, firing what appeared to be missiles from his jetpack. The guards were too slow to even make a run for it, and they were caught by the missiles. A large explosion sprang up as a result. The frog grinned sadistically. "NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL FIREWORKS!" he exclaimed before laughing at the deaths he had caused.

Meanwhile, the other group were having their fair share of tearing down the guards on the wagons. They approached what appeared to be a large security door. Muggshot was already keen on using his chaingun to fire at whatever was on the side.

"ALRIGHT! TIME FOR A…." Muggshot was interrupted when Octavio shoved him aside.

"Stand back, bruto! I will render these soldiers useless!" Octavio exclaimed with so much pride in his abilities.

Neither Muggshot nor Jean Bison appreciated what the lion did. "Hey! How come you get to decide!?" the bulldog asked.

Rajan stepped before them. "Because he and I were chosen to be this squadron's lieutenants! As such, the two of you are mere grunts! Accept it!" the tiger pointed out.

"Now you listen here, Ol' Rajan! I won't be dictated by the someone like…" Jean Bison stopped voicing his opposition once Octavio had already unleashed his soundwave generator.

He was singing as if he was still a tenor. But from his mouth came large soundwaves that where powerful enough to break the door open. And yes, there were indeed guards standing on the other side. They were carrying their assault rifles and ready to fire once the door busted open. But because of the soundwaves, the guards were rendered deaf. Their hearing was completely damaged.

That enabled Octavio, Rajan, Muggshot and Jean Bison to use their paralyzing states to their advantage. Muggshot beat up a couple of guards with his brass knuckles. Jean Bison brutally chopped off some of the guard's body parts. Octavio used his fast agility to kick a few guards up in the rood, surprising for someone at his age. And Rajan sadistically stabbed some of his targets with his iron claws, grinning as he watched blood stream out of his victims.

Amidst this bloodshed, a gravely wounded guard desperately tried to make a run for it. He was reaching for the door to the next wagon. Sadly, he didn't make it. The powerful blow of Jean Bison's axe could be felt on his spine. Screaming in pain, he watched the red-wooly bison even approached him from behind. Jean Bison shook his head at him.

"Uh-uh. It ain't your death just yet" he said, bearing no remorse towards the guard he had injured.

While all the chaos happened across the wagons, Winthorp and his guards had both formed a line on either side. Needless to say, they were ready to should each group dare breaching through the doors on either side of the prison wagon.

"Detective, our defenses keep getting slaughtered on either side!" one of the guards revealed, much to the fear of the weasel. "It's only a matter of time before they are here!" the guard added, holding onto his weapon tightly.

Gulping, Winthorp clutched himself. He held onto his shock pistol tightly. "This is bad!" he expressed his fears before looking at another soldier. "You! Why can't we reach Commissioner Barkley!?" he demanded an answer from him.

"It's no use, sir. The enemy has probably taken over the computer room and eliminated our men guarding there! And we can't even contact the nearest HQ!" he answered.

Distress was taking hold upon the weasel's face. "Dang it! Then we're definitely screwed for sure!" he exclaimed as his paranoia was completely evident.

A laughter could be heard coming from Le Paradox's cell. Clearly, he was amused by seeing the reaction on Winthorp's face. And it only felt more tempting to get under his skin.

"You should run away while you still can" Le Paradox got Winthorp's attention, the skunk smirking at him. "Why even bother resisting the inevitable. Compared to other members of INTERPOL, you are just a lousy assistant with no courage! It even amazes me how INTERPOL accepted you into their ranks" Le Paradox continued.

Winthorp felt himself getting driven into a corner by listening to the skunk's words. However, a part of him just refused to just do as Le Paradox wanted him to. Sucking it up, the squeaky weasel managed to put on some courage in his face.

"No! You're wrong!" Winthorp snapped back at him, much to Le Paradox's confusion. "I may not be as angry as Barkley or as tough as Carmelita! But if it's one thing I'm not, it's that I'm no coward! So just sit back on your stinky ass and shut up, lousy windbag!" the detective surprisingly got very tough towards him.

Le Paradox fumed with anger to hear this. "Why you little…" he slammed his fists on the wall of glass. "WHEN I GET OUT, I'LL RING YOUR NECK! YOU AND THAT LATINA CHIENNE!" he then went on threaten both him and Carmelita.

That's when Winthorp started worrying about his colleague. She said that she had to go to the bathroom. The detective worried that Carmelita had been killed by the enemies.

"Oh no…...please don't tell me that you're dead, Carmelita…" Winthorp prayed, looking to his south in the direction of where Carmelita had gone.

While the boarding continued, Carmelita had been hiding in her bathroom. She had heard screams coming from behind doors and the vixen had waited for the opportunity to strike. But as she was about to bust the door open, Carmelita heard familiar voices.

"Well done, my dependable zombies! Y'all were terrific" that voice belonged to Mz. Ruby.

"Argh. Was making all this mess really that necessary? Your zombies lack manners compared to my dolls" the Contessa seemed to chastise her.

"Shut up, ya big hair-legged hag!" Mz. Ruby hit back.

"You do that, you hideous fena!" the Contessa retorted.

"Pipe down, imbeciles! We must continue!" Tsao's voice could be heard in the background.

Carmelita, already starting to have her own suspicions, decided to make a surprise attack upon whoever these boarders were. Reaching for her shock pistol, the vixen bravely barged out of the bathroom door. She was ready to make an arrest.

"FREEZE! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE…." Carmelita had to stop as she realized how these people were recognizable. "Dios mío….Mz. Ruby…...the Contessa…and…" she didn't seem to recognize Tsao, despite their history.

The rooster eyed her with dispassion. "Just who are you, insolent woman!?" he demanded, yet his female cohorts seemed to have already figured out the answer.

The Contessa chuckled at seeing the vixen. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Commissioner Barkley's number one marionette? What a coincidence to see you here, Carmelita Montoya Fox" she spoke with her arms crossed.

Carmelita gritted her teeth in response. "Shut it, bruja! I want answers! Why are you three here!? All of you should be locked up in the Heathrow Petitionary in the USA! What the hell's going on!?" the vixen demanded.

"As if we would ever tell you!" Mz. Ruby responded, not swayed by Carmelita's demands.

"Indeed. After all, each of us have a bad history with you" the Contessa pointed out, a vicious smirk creeping across her face. "And that just gave me a great idea. Would you like for me to get a peek inside that tiny head of yours? It would be just like in Prague" the black widow suggested, hinting back to the time she had once tried to hypnotize Carmelita's mind.

The inspector was well-aware of it, yet she brushed it off. "I'd rather shove my pistol up your ugly, gothic ass!" Carmelita hit back.

The Contessa seemed displeased. "Ugh. You never change do you, Carmelita? Still as foulmouthed and nasty as you were back then" she remarked.

"I finally remember you!" Tsao suddenly snapped, his hawkish and wrathful eyes fixated upon her. "You…you were the one who arrested and brought me to INTERPOL's clutches!" the rooster's rage was on full display.

But Carmelita seemed confused. "Huh? I've no idea what you're talking about" she responded.

This infuriated Tsao further. "Don't play dumb with me! I know your face! At a wedding in the Kunlun Mountains in China! You had disguised yourself as my bride in place of King Jing! Because of you, I spent years living in shame of not fulfilling my destiny!" Tsao continued with venting his rage at her.

It was then Carmelita managed to recall the memory. "Oh, I see. That one. Then that makes you General Tsao Nezha. Or ex-general is perhaps more appropriate, given how you were dishonorably charged" the vixen stated, yet she was not finished speaking. "And by the way, the reason why you even got arrested by me is because you underestimated the Cooper Gang. That's why you were so easily defeated" Carmelita then brought up the punchline.

Tsao could not take it anymore. He reacted impulsively. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!" he threw his spear at her.

But Carmelita, with her quick reflexes, managed to dodge getting pierced. She did so by bending backwards, watching as the spear flied over her body. But when she raised her body, Tsao charged straight at her. The furious ex-general tried to chop Carmelita's head off with the blades on his shield. But Carmelita was quick-witted, unlike most members of INTERPOL.

"The hell's your problems!?" Carmelita asked before aiming her shock pistol at him. "Either way, you and your cohorts are going back to jail! That's what each of you deserve after everything you've done!" she said before firing her weapon repeatedly.

But Tsao blocked the shots with his shield, and he even tossed one back at her. This forced Carmelita to dive forward, hoping to get a closer shot at paralyzing his foe. Yet she failed, as the inspector was met with a powerful fist to her face.

The pain itself was excruciating and Carmelita fell onto the floor with a bloodied lip. She faced at her foe with a glare.

"Bastard…...didn't you mother ever tell you to never punch a lady!?" she asked while trying to wipe off the blood on her lips.

Tsao remained unremorseful. "You assume that women should be spared from my wrath? Such stupidity! Not subjecting women to violence reduces them to nothing but whimpering whelps! Gender is irrelevant when it comes to inflicting pain!" he responded, his misogynism on full display.

Still, Carmelita had to smirk at hearing the ex-general's words. "So, you don't distinguish between men and women when it comes to violence? Maybe you're not as sexist as the files say" she said, getting up on her feet while spitting out some blood. "In that case, I may as well respond to it in kind! I'm gonna humiliate you once again. And this time, by kicking your feathering ass to the curb!" Carmeita spoke up, declared what her goal was.

A smirk crept on Tsao's beak. "Brave words. But unfortunately for you" Tsao said while starting to move his right hand a little, which confused Carmelita. "YOU WILL NEVER GET THAT CHANCE!" the rooster bellowed as Carmelita felt something hard pierce through her.

The vixen looked to see a something so horrific. Tsao's spear was piercing through her stomach. Blood sprouted out of Carmelita's mouth. But at the same time, she was astounded with how Tsao had managed to control the spear.

"But how…" she wondered, only to hear the sadistic laughter coming from Tsao.

"Surpised, inspector?" he asked, taking pleasure in watching the vixen bleed endlessly. "This is the power of the Tsao Family. For generations, my ancestors mastered the ability to control their weapons without even having the need to hold them!" Tsao explained, feeling confident in himself.

Even the ladies behind him was amused by what their cohort had done to Carmelita.

"Výborně! This is what I have longed to see after getting chased by her!" the Contessa praised him, smirking as she saw how much agony Carmelita was in.

"Now that's what I call some entertainment!" Mz. Ruby exclaimed, also finding it tempting to watch.

Carmelita still stood with the spear through her stomach, yet Tsao was now approaching her. Even as she had a weapon through her, the inspector still possessed enough strength to speak.

"Cabrón…..I'll get you for this…AAARRGHHHHH!" she screamed as Tsao pulled out the entire weapon through her stomach. This forced her down to her knees.

"Obnoxious to the end, I see. Sorry, but you will have to wait until your next life!" Tsao responded, punching the vixen in the face. He sent her flying against the wall, lying against it completely unconscious. Tsao was pleased with what he saw. "Consider this as my reprisal for you giving me over to INTERPOL!" the ex-general spoke.

The Contessa watched as Tsao walked away from Carmelita. "Are you certain that she is dead? It would be foolish to underestimate Carmelita Montoya Fox" she wanted some confirmation.

"We have no time to be dwelling on such. The prison wagon is close. We'll eliminate any resistance and then free Le Paradox. Now, move along!" Tsao commanded the women.

"Hmm, I suppose he is right. She will die from her wound. It's only a matter of time before Carmelita becomes a rotten corpse" the Contessa said to Mz. Ruby.

"Yeah. Had it not been for this mission, I might've made a perfect zombie out of her" Mz. Ruby remarked, a sadistic smile creeping on her jaws.

The Contessa smirked. "You'll get that chance as soon as we have freed Le Paradox. But you heard Tsao. The skunk comes first. Then, we will enjoy reducing Carmelita to a mindless toady" she assured her comrade.

Looking at Carmelita's body once more time, the two ladies followed their cohort out of the wagon and onto the next one. They would return to Carmelita's body as soon as they had freed Le Paradox.

As Carmelita lay against the wall, blood still kept running from her serious wound to her stomach. Still, a smirk could be seen on her face, indicating that the vixen was still conscious. Apparently, she had fooled the villainous trio into believing she was unable to even move.

"Tch…..dumbasses…." Carmelita seemed to have overheard the conversation between Mz. Ruby and the Contessa while she had played possum. Covering her wound with her right hand, the inspector did what she could to crouch towards the bathroom. "As if I would ever…...become your plaything….." the vixen added, vowing to never become an object of torment.

The door to the bathroom opened and Carmelita entered, still crouching like some wounded soldier. But what was she going in there for, anyway?

On the walls, what appeared to be a health charger hanged there. What was noticeable was the syringe filled with a type of chemical hanging there. As Carmelita neared this object, the syringe reached out for her left arm. The vixen panted deeply and watched as the chemicals were injected into her body. She forced a smile as she watched it.

"With enough time, I should be able to recover from this wound. It was only fortunate that I was near the bathroom. Otherwise, I don't think I would've made it" Carmelita admitted, starting to feel the pain going away little by little.

But as she sat there, the inspector was reminded about what the criminal trio had said about where they were heading. She recalled what Tsao had uttered out to his cohorts.

"So they're boarding this train to free Le Paradox? But why? What could those three possibly gain from having that slimeball?" that's when something hit inside her head. She recalled what the incarcerated skunk had blurted out before her. "Of course! He said something about exposing INTERPOL's corruption…but is that true? Did someone at the ICC really send those three to get him? I don't understand" the inspector was filled with so many thoughts while struggling to concentrate.

It was then Carmelita was reminded about Winthorp, as well as the guards stationed inside the prison wagon. Somehow, she felt a little guilty for leaving him in charge of guarding Le Paradox while all this was occurring. But then again, she was no idea that such event would even transpire.

"Damn it. I don't know what became of Barkley, but I can only assume that he's captured. No way, that he would die so easily. But Winthorp on the other hand….." she thought about the quirky detective, whom she knew possessed strong feelings for her. "I'm sorry, Winthorp. But it will take some time before I'll get to you. Until then, please hold out. That's all I ask of you" Carmelita was praying for her subordinate.

As she thought about it, an idea suddenly crossed into Carmelita's mind. She would execute it as soon as she was full recovered.

* * *

_Many hours earlier, inside a cell in the Heathrow Penitentiary, USA_

This penitentiary housed some of the most dangerous and infamous criminals caught by INTERPOL. Not only were there thieves, but also murderers and other worst transgressors. Even Mz. Ruby, Raleigh and Muggshot had all been incarcerated here before being "transferred" to B.A.N.J.O.'s grasps. Needless to say, it was a melting pot for the worst offenders in the world.

But in this particular cell lived a large walrus. Despite his old age, he was incredibly muscular. He had large tusks, except that his left one was broken. There were tattoos all over his body, on the front and behind. There was even a tattoo on his left handpalm, that showed a picture of a place in Italy.

This was no ordinary criminal. This was Jim McSweeney, a former member of the Original Cooper Gang, long before Sly was even born. He was in the group alongside Conner Cooper, Sly's father and leader, and Monty Jekyll, the brains of the gang, who would later betray them and become known in the criminal underworld was Dr. M. Together, the trio had pulled some of the greatest heists in the modern history. They were at their peak.

Sadly, everything changed when Monty felt like a second-fiddle to Conner and left the gang. In fact, the mandrill had even ratted his former friends out to INTERPOL at that time. Fortunately, Conner and McSweeney managed to avoid capture, yet they would forever remain stung by their comrade's betrayal.

McSweeney continued his friendship with Conner, until he and his wife were murdered by the Fiendish Five. At that time, McSweeney had assumed that Sly had also been killed during the attack. With nothing to lose, the walrus turned himself in to INTERPOL and had been living as an inmate ever since.

In the years spent behind bars, McSweeney had wondered whether Dr. M had been somewhat involved with the Fiendish Five's attack by giving them location of the Cooper Family's home address. However, the walrus had refused to believe that notion.

You see, when he had learned about the fate of Dr. M, McSweeney had surprisingly mourned his death a little. Yes, he still resented him for his betrayal, but a part of him still recognized how strong their friendship had been. He had also wondered if the outcome had been different if he had taken Dr. M's side and agreed with how Conner gave himself too much credit for their gang's success. Still, McSweeney knew him better than anyone, and Conner was not a selfish leader as Dr. M claimed.

"Damn it, Monty…" McSweeney spoke, sitting alone on his bed while thinking about his late comrade. "What could have you made you that blind? You know that Conner truly appreciated you! As did I!" the walrus struggled coming to terms with the fact that Dr. M had committed suicide by staying inside a collapsing cavern.

Still, many things had changed since getting the news. McSweeney had learned about the Cooper Gang's latest stunt, especially with how Le Paradox had sought to rewrite the Cooper clan's history.

"I still can't believe it. Is Paul's kid that arrogant? He's way worse than his daddy" McSweeney noted, recalling back to how Conner and Paul Le Paradox had been rivals as master thieves. "Either way, the kid's worse than Paul. For as pompous as Paul was, even he had standards" the walrus concluded.

Where had this inmate gotten all this knowledge from? Well, there was one individual who had partaken an interest in him. It was a certain woman with a high standing among INTERPOL, or specifically the ICC.

"Pinga Masayoshi….." McSweeney uttered out the name of the woman that had surprisingly given all this information to him, about Dr. M's demise, Le Paradox's plans as well as Sly's disappearance. "Why in the world would you tell me all that stuff?" he wondered.

At first, the walrus didn't wanna believe Pinga. But after sending some piegons in hopes of making contact with the Cooper Gang, none of them returned. He never received a message back from them. That had slowly convinced McSweeney about the truth in Pinga's words.

"Sly…" McSweeney couldn't help but to utter out the name of the thief he had known since he was a little boy. He even remembered how Sly had affectionally called him "Big Jim". In essence, he was the boy's adopted uncle. But all that changed when Clockwerk murdered Sly's parents. It wasn't until years later they would finally meet again. Sly had personally visited him in the penitentiary. "Wherever you are boy…please stay strong…" the walrus prayed for him.

But in the last months, something had plagued McSweeney deeply. Not long ago, Pinga had visited him once again. This time, however, it had nothing to do with an update of the Cooper Gang. Rather, it was about a certain warning that she had told him.

"_Be careful, Jim McSweeney. There are rumors going around about a potential riot happening in this penitentiary. Whether you will escape or not depends on you. But I just want to tell you this: whatever your choice is…give it everything…..or nothing"_

Those had been the last words Pinga had told him on that visit before leaving. Even to this day, McSweeney still couldn't grasp what the chairwoman was trying to say.

"Everything or nothing…..what the hell was that all about?" he wondered.

During times when he was eating, McSweeney had not heard any talk about a riot taking place inside this penitentiary. Frankly, he found it impossible for such event to even take place. Heathrow Penitentiary had some of the tightest security of any place in the world. There was no way that a prison riot would be tolerated. Any inmates brave enough to try would be executed on the spot. Such was the logic of the penitentiary's warden.

"I still don't get it. That lady's crazy, most likely" McSweeney concluded.

As the old walrus was about to lie down and sleep, he was shaken by a powerful explosion nearby. It made him fall off the bed. From what he could tell, the explosion took inside the facility itself. That was obvious, given how the alarm just sounded.

"What in the hell's going on!?" McSweeney asked, taken aback by what had just taken place.

As he approached the secured door of glass, the walrus was stunned as he saw how it opened. He couldn't believe his own eyes. Usually, there had to be a guard to open the door with a keycard. Yet right now, there opened itself so randomly. While struggling to understand what was going on, McSweeney heard two more explosions taking place.

"DAMN! I'M GOIN' CRAZY!" the walrus exclaimed.

Even by now, hordes of inmates had emerged out of their cells and started wreaking havoc inside the facility. The guards had been caught off-guard, yet had immediately launched their counterattack in hopes of putting down this riot. It escalated quickly into a gunfight, as some inmates had managed to get a hold of weapons. This only resulted in the rioting becoming deadlier by the minute.

As astounded as McSweeney was, he soon turned around and returned to his cell. Clearly, he had no interest with joining his fellow inmates. The reason for that was simple. McSweeney had retired himself from the life of crime, and had been contended with even dying as a prisoner.

"Those guys are just wasting their times. No way I'm ever going out" the walrus said while taking his seat on his head.

For McSweeney, there was no home outside besides prison. He was old and past his prime, even though he seemed to be among the strongest prisoners incarcerated here.

"Hey, McSweeney. What are you doing?" the voice with a New Zealand accent came up.

The walrus looked to his right and saw several people standing outside the cell. Like him, they were also inmates at the penitentiary. The one speaking to McSweeney was a muscular orca wearing the infamous jumpsuit worn by inmates. Standing beside the orca was a male camel who seemed to be quite eccentric, a female salamander who seemed quite promiscuous and a male pelican who seemed quite angry.

"What do you know. I get harassed by Micah Sealy, Osama bin Dokki, Cynthia de Poção Ame and Herman Vogelkauf" he stated the names of these inmates. "Which leads me to ask you: why aren't you folks joining up with the other inmates? You're all free to go" the walrus asked them.

The orca named Micah seemed disappointed by his answer. "Really? This is how you respond? You sound like a ratbag, just like Cynthia" he replied.

"What did you just say!?" the salamander named Cynthia asked while looking up at the taller man. "Be careful with what you say, Micah. I do not tolerate such sarcastic displays" she warned him.

But the orca shook his head in return. "Nah, it wasn't sarcastic at all, love" he insisted.

"What I think this nincompoop was trying to say is that we bring a message from you" the camel named Osama suddenly reached out for something behind his jumpsuit.

McSweeney was still confused. "A walkie-talkie? How in the hell did you even get hold of such?" the walrus asked.

"Talk to the lady who entrusted with it to him" the pelican named Herman responded.

McSweeney looked at the device Osama was holding. All of a sudden, a familiar voice could be heard.

"_Greetings, Jim McSweeney. How do you fare in these times?_" the voice called out.

The walrus' eyes widened in astonishment. "No way…..Pinga Masayoshi!?" he exclaimed the name of the woman he had been conversing with. But something hit in his old head. "Wait a second…this riot…..is this…." McSweeney couldn't believe it.

But it was true, as a chuckle could be heard from the walkie-talkie. "_You're correct. I'm the one behind this riot, or perhaps more specifically, B.A.N.J.O. is behind it. You see, require your service for a very important reason. It's about Sly Cooper_" she revealed.

McSweeney's eyes widened at the mention of that name. He even angrily snatched the walkie-talkie away from Osama's hand and angrily held it in front of him.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!? DO YOU BASTARDS INTEND ON KILLING HIM!?" he demanded an answer out of the penguin.

"_Calm yourself, McSweeney. I assure that I have no desire to kill that man. Besides, he is still missing in action even as we speak. But what I am more concerned about is Cyrille Le Paradox. After all, he is the man whom possesses the answer to where Cooper is. And not only that, he has allied himself with several villains and may be looking after him. You do remember the names of Walter Raleigh, Bill Mugg and Ruby Mambo, right?_" she started revealing some details to him.

It was at that moment the walrus' muscles started to tense up. "Yes…..I remember them….." he said, his rage scary enough for even his fellow inmates. "Those are the bastards who helped kill Sly's parents….how else could I've forgotten them!?" McSweeney exclaimed.

"_They along with other wanted criminals managed to escape the New York Penitentiary. Our sources indicate that they are now heading for France in order to rescue Le Paradox from incarceration. What they plan on doing next, I'm not so sure. But they could be targeting the Cooper Gang. That is why B.A.N.J.O is requesting your assistance with stopping this gang, also known as the Seppuku Squadron. Come outside the facility and we'll discuss this further_" those were the last words before she stopped speaking.

For some reason, McSweeney was more than ready to escape from this facility in hopes of stopping whatever the Seppuku Squadron was doing. But the big question is why Pinga would rely upon him and other inmates to stop them? After all, it was Pinga herself who had assembled the Seppuku Squadron.

It all became clear, that this was nothing more than a plan conceived by a mastermind such as Pinga Masayoshi. Yet nobody knew what her true intent really was in doing all this.

_To be continued…._


	6. Freeing the Scoundrel

**SLY COOPER: SEPPUKU SQUADRON**

**At the International Criminal Court, I had the privilege of meeting people who were as dedicated to justice like me. And one of them was Gregory Maximoff from Russia. But even as we rose up through the ranks of the organization, it became clear to me that most members preferred him over me. Apparently, they favored his soft approach in dealing with criminals. Once he was named President of the ICC, I was mortified. But still, Gregory was not the only one I made friends with. Among other people there was Bruce McWhite from Australia, Eduardo Picadura de La Arena from Mexico, Aloka Manavy from Madagascar and Kematian Pembalasan from Indonesia. It was with them I started develop much more friendlier relationships with.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Freeing the Scoundrel **

_Inside the cargo of a truck, somewhere near New York City, USA_

For some reason, B.A.N.J.O. had decided to cause a prison riot in the Heathrow Penitentiary. This had been done so under the command of the "board of directors" led by Pinga Masayoshi. By hacking into the penitentiary's database, as well as cause a few explosions, this top secret and rogue agency was able to cause this prison riot.

However, Pinga and her allies had caused this riot for a very important reason. One could say that they had hoped this prison riot would divert INTERPOL's attention away from other things, including the ongoing transferring of Cyrille Le Paradox. Yet there was also another reason. Pinga had sought to "recruit" several inmates at this facility for a very special mission.

Inside the cargo of a truck, Pinga sat on a chair while facing several inmates across her. On each of these couches sat a walrus, an orca, a camel, a salamander and a pelican.

"Forgive me for causing all this trouble in order to free you. But I felt that the prison riot was the only way that I felt we could recruit you. After all, B.A.N.J.O. operates independently from INTERPOL and its sister organizations" Pinga told them.

The woman took her time to read through each of these files that explained the criminal history of these individuals. From what she could tell, they each had good reasons to be locked up at Heathrow Penitentiary.

"Micah Sealy. A former marine biologist turned eco-terrorist from New Zealand. Not only have you been involved with the sinking of fishing and whaling vessels, you have also done some illegal treasure hunting in the oceans. From what your files says, INTERPOL really struggled to catch you, given how you always used your expertise as a diver to your advantage" Pinga read the files about the muscular orca.

Micah crossed his arms while shrugging. "No worries. I was only protecting the oldest creatures to have ever lived on this world. Someone's gotta take care of our oceans. Not my fault the World Wildlife Fund is munted as a car without a motor" he responded to his criminal history being read.

Pinga proceeded to the next individual, and it was about the camel with the long beard.

"Osama bin Dokki. Born privileged as the son of an oil sheikh in Egypt. But once you gained the mantle of leader, you were involved with committing frauds in the oil industry. You even hired assassins to get rid of rivals, among them CEOs of other oil companies. Because of your actions, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries renounced your reputation. Even your own family disowned you" Pinga read about Osama's criminal past.

In response to this, Osama laughed at Pinga reading her criminal history. "Those fools at OPEC! They never understood how oil could've been used for a much greater cause than to just build homes and fuel vehicles! And despite my contributions, they abandoned me and left me to rot in the hands of INTERPOL! I curse them upon the day I die" the camel felt no shame with his past wrongdoings.

Pinga then started looking at the only female inmate in the group. It was the salamander with the large diva-like sunglasses.

"Cynthia de Poção Ame. Your criminal past makes me somewhat feel a hint of sympathy towards you. Hailing from the favelas in Brazil, you had a dream of becoming a beauty pageant. Once you got in the branch, you were the number one VIP in all of Brazil, until competitors appeared. All the fashion industry turned their attention towards them instead of you. Resentful, you started murdering your competitors, one by one. But eventually, the pageant branch discovered your hand in their deaths, and you were expelled from it for good" Pinga expressed her somewhat sympathetic views towards Cynthia's descent into criminality.

The yellow-skinned salamander with the long black hair huffed. "Spare me your sympathy, cadela! I know that deep down, it's nothing but fake" she snapped at the penguin, refusing to take her words for granted.

Pinga didn't take Cynthia's words seriously. "Hmmm, and here I fought we would come to an understanding. Unfortunate, I must say" she remarked.

The penguin proceeded to read the criminal files about the pelican. He was the smallest of all the inmates gathered, yet a bit bulky at the same time. He had a monocle over his right eye.

"Herman Vogelkauf. A self-proclaimed tinkerer from Germany. As an engineer, you were fascinated by the ideas of the Industrial Revolution taking place in Germany in the 19th century. However, you came to steal the ideas of other inventers and engineers, even playing a part in their deaths. A shame that you have reduced to this, when you could have contributed greatly to the forces of good" Pinga explained his criminal past.

Herman didn't seem to buy her words. "You dare lectzure me about vat is good und bad? I schpit upon you, Masayoshi! All mein life, I haff schpent years creating zhe greatest weapons und machines zhat hast driven even zhe police insane!" the German pelican spoke up.

However, Pinga ignored Herman's outburst and moved on to the final and perhaps most interesting member of these criminals she had gathered in this cargo.

"And finally, the most interesting case. Jim McSweeney. Hailing from the USA, you were a member of the Original Cooper Gang, alongside Conner Cooper and Monty Jekyll aka Dr. M. As the gang's brawn, you helped commit some of the greatest thefts in the world. Unfortunately, there came a time when Jekyll betrayed the two of you, causing the gang to be disbanded. Turning yourself in to INTERPOL at some point, you've lived the rest of your life as an inmate…until now" Pinga spoke up, the smirk on her beak never fading away.

Still, McSweeney didn't so much as smile back at the Japanese penguin. "Don't pull all that sweettalk crap on me, lady. You don't know the full story behind the gang's downfall" the bulky walrus told her.

"Don't I? That's a little presumptuous of you to say, McSweeney. After all, you would have known nothing without my assistance. Who allowed you to send those messenger pigeons to the likes of Sly Cooper?" Pinga tried getting under his skin.

McSweeney was having none of it. "Shut up. I never asked for your assistance in covering me. Besides, I know for a fact that you only did that so that I could become your bitch" he hit back.

"And how would you exactly become that when I'm giving you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to avenge Cooper's death?" Pinga point blank asked him.

To hear the name Cooper being brought up enraged McSweeney. But before he could open his mouth to protest, a loud and disrespectful yawn came out of Micah's mouth.

"I'm getting knackered by all this chit-chat about you two talking! For what exact reason did you free us?" Micah wanted some answers out of her.

"Yes. Why even pick us to do your schemes? I thought INTERPOL had plenty of incarcerated murderers that you could use as your toys" Cynthia joined in.

Pinga was indifferent to their demands. "Well, to answer Poção Ame's question, the security cameras have caught you always hanging with McSweeney when you're all outside your cells. That to me sounds like a form of friendship" she answered the salamander. "But to answer Sealy's question, it's the same I've told each of you before. As of now, eight incarcerated convicts escaped from New York Penitentiary. B.A.N.J.O. has reasons to believe that it was a young weaponsmith by the name of Penelope Van Kinderdjik who engineered their escape" she went on delving information.

Herman's eyes widened, given that he knew who Penelope was. "Vat did you say!? Van Kinderdjik!? Zhat mouse haff been a pain in mein neck für too long! She hast schtealed some of mein ideas!" he was outraged at the mentioning of the mouse's name.

"Oh, that's right. There was a robbery taking place at your former workshop in Switzerland. Based upon the logo, it was without a doubt Van Kinderdjik's doing" Pinga remarked, much to Herman's rage.

"Zhat little… Hündin!" the pelican's bad temper was on full display. He even swore in German.

Pinga shook her head in return. "At ease, Vogelkauf. You will get your chance to get back at her for whatever transgressions she has done to you" she insisted, only to look at the rest of the inmates. "That said, B.A.N.J.O. will send the five of you to go after the Seppuku Squadron and do whatever is necessary to end their charade. Capture them or kill them, you decide" she went on explaining it all.

The inmates each glanced at her suspiciously. "Not so fast, Masayoshi. Why would you resort to us, the very thing you hate most, to do your bidding?" Osama suddenly questioned her.

"Yeah, not to mention how manipulative you are. We know all about your desires" Micah joined in on the fray.

The penguin sat and listened to the accusations she was getting thrown at. Still, they didn't seem to affect her in the slightest.

"You want to know why. It's simple. Sometimes, not even INTERPOL can be reliable when it comes to deal with the greatest offenders. That's why I'm always open for pragmatic solutions" Pinga insisted, making sure that they all heard her reason. "After all, the ends justify the means. And by that, I'm talking about making this world a much better place for future generations" she went on.

McSweeney sat and listened carefully, still not trusting her words. But on another note, the walrus was already showing signs of rage as he kept thinking about certain individuals that he had a beef with.

"I couldn't care less about Le Paradox and whoever the hell this Penelope is. All that I want, is to crack the skulls of Raleigh, Muggshot and Mz. Ruby! They will pay for what they did to Conner!" McSweeney expressed his desire to get back at those three.

His fellow inmates were stunned to see this level of rage taking hold inside the walrus.

"Woah. Why're you mad as a meat axe all of a sudden?" Micah wondered.

"Yeah, you never displayed such back in the prison" Cynthia agreed with the assessment.

Pinga smirked at what she saw. "Patience, McSweeney. Your time will come. But for now, all that I ask of you is to wait until you've reached France. Even as we speak, the Seppuku Squadron and their accomplices are seeking to form an alliance against INTERPOL. And given how incompetent they are these days, I've appointed you to deal with them" she explained, looking specifically at McSweeney. "That said, I have come to the conclusion in making you the leader of this team. Together, you shall be known as the Banzai Brigade" she suddenly revealed, yet McSweeney didn't show any emotion at this in return. He remained aloof.

But as that announcement came, the rest of the inmates expressed their opposition to having McSweeney being their leader, let alone having him the group as a whole.

"Is this supposed to be a joke!? How could you possibly place this man as our leader!?" Osama was furious with Pinga's decision. "As we all know, he hasn't killed a soul!" the camel with the long beard added.

"Zhat camel speaks zhe truth!" Herman joined in to voice his opposition. "Und not only zhat, he hast no leadership experience! In mein opinion, I am more suited für zhe title!" the pelican boasted.

But now, they began showing opposition towards each other being the leader. As such, they had forgotten all about McSweeney as a while.

"YOU becoming our leader?" Cynthia asked while raising an eyebrow. "Besteira! As if I would ever follow the orders of a demented mechanic such as you!" the salamander rebuked him.

"Vat did you just say!?" Herman demanded.

"What I'm saying is that I'm more worthy of a leader" the ex-pageant model pointed out while stroking her wonderful hair.

But Micah felt the need to voice his opinion. "Nah. A hapless sook like you isn't leadership material" the muscular orca pointed out.

Cynthia was not appreciative of Micah's comment. "Then that makes two of us" she hit back at him.

"Naff off" Micah responded.

Meanwhile, McSweeney had been ignoring the constant bickering from his fellow inmates. He was more focused upon what Pinga had in store for him. Clearly, he seemed to have figured out something.

"So, you're sayin' that if we accomplish with eliminating this Seppuku Squadron, you'll let us go willingly? Tch, I've nothing else to return to besides jail" the walrus bluntly told her.

"Really? Not even the Cooper Gang?" she pointed out, much to the surprise of the man before her. "That's right. You should think more about where you truly belong in, McSweeney. Surley, you don't wanna end up dying in jail, would you?" she continued.

This made McSweeney consider her words carefully. While it was true that the Cooper Gang still existed, Sly was nowhere to be seen. Therefore, he felt like it would only be foolish of him to seek out Bentley and Murray when their leader was not around. But the muscular walrus brushed aside those thoughts. Right now, vengeance was what crawled on his mind.

"Fine. I'll deal with those bastards and Le Paradox with this Banzai Brigade of yours. But be warned: I ain't doing this out of respect for you. My motives for killing those Fiendish Five bastards…are strictly personal" McSweeney reminded the penguin.

"Very well. Then we got ourselves a deal then" Pinga replied.

* * *

_Onboard a train, in the middle of France_

Inside the wagon holding the cell of Cyrille Le Paradox, the guards led by Detective Winthorp stood their ground. Outside, they heard explosions coming near their location. However, these came from above. This could only mean that the machine turrets were being taken care of by the enemies.

"What's the situation?" Winthorp asked one of the guards standing nearby.

"Sir. It appears that these boarders have an enemy flyer backing with air support. Our turrets are unable to neutralize it!" he replied as he looked above.

"Dang it! Whoever these boarders are, they sure planned this attack well!" the young weasel responded. But there was more he wanted to know from the guard. "By the way, soldier, any signs of Carmelita yet?" he asked him.

The guard shook his head. "Negative. I'm unable to reach out to her through my communicator. Something must've happened, but we can't verify what it was" he responded.

It was then Winthorp started worrying about his colleague. "Carmelita…" the weasel uttered out his concerns.

From the sidelines, a sneaky Le Paradox took pleasure in watching the look on the detective's face. Therefore, he tried once again to mock Winthorp's dignity as a cop.

"What's the matter? Are you worried about that fiery inspector? Hmmm, I didn't know any better, I would say you are in love with Carmelita" the skunks called out to him.

This actually caught Winthorp's attention, and he looked at him with surprising eyes. Winthorp couldn't understand how someone like Le Paradox had figured out his feelings towards her.

"Forget about her. At this rate, that chienne is as good as dead!" Le Paradox told him.

Hearing those words only brought anger inside the usually quirky detective. "You shut up! You know nothing!" Winthorp retorted.

Le Paradox's smirk spread wider, as if he enjoyed it completely. "Am I? I think not, detective" he responded, only to hear the nearby explosions. Despite the magnitude of this glass, the skunk was able to hear those perfectly. "Which reminds me, time is running out for you. Soon, you and your pathetic colleagues will die!" he taunted the young weasel.

It was at this very moment that the secured door to their left exploded. It got every guard to direct their attentions towards it. Winthorp surprisingly took the lead, giving commands to the guards while standing behind their barricades.

"Hold your fire, men!" Winthorp ordered. "There's no enemy standing in the opening!" the weasel then realized as the smoke started to clear out.

That's right. Not a single soul could be seen at that entrance. It made all the guards confused as to where the boarders could have gone.

"This doesn't make any sense…..why is there…" Winthorp was interrupted by a someone touching his shoulder. He assumed it was one of the guards near him. "What is it? Do you see something out in the…AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" he literally screamed as he got a look of who it was that had touched him.

"I am sorry, but are we intruding here?" the Contessa asked as she Mz. Ruby and Tsao had already entered the prison wagon from the other opening. As such, they had succeeded in neutralizing the guards without notice.

Tsao pulled out his spear, having just used to impale a guard. "Hmph. Even with all their weaponry and armory, these guards are nothing against a man like me" the ex-general boasted, feeling no remorse for his brutal actions.

Winthorp was taken aback by this surprise attack. However, he was more shocked by the individuals who had entered this wagon.

"I don't believe it…the Contessa…Mz. Ruby…..and Tsao Nezha….." Winthorp stammered, quickly swatting away the black widow's hand before proceeding to run towards the opened door before him.

"Looks like that little fly is trying to make a run for it. I say we go after him" Mz. Ruby remarked.

"No need for that" Tsao bluntly shot her suggestion down.

It seemed like the rooster was right. Unfortunately for Winthorp, the way was blocked once Muggshot and Jean Bison stood in the doorway. The two muscular brutes formed a blockade, preventing Winthorp from finding a way beyond them.

"Goin' somewhere, runt?" Jean Bison asked with his muscular arms crossed.

"Give me a break! This is all the defenses that INTERPOL can muster!?" Muggshot was disappointed with the lack of challenge from the guards.

The young weasel froze. "Muggshot and Jean Bison! They're here as well!?" he squeaked, feeling himself surrounded at this rate.

But he was in for more shocking realizations, as the ceiling of glass soon shattered and down came three other individuals. It was Rajan, Octavio and Raleigh. They all landed in the middle of the wagon, thus rendering any chance of escaping the place impossible.

"Rajan Sunderbans…...Octavio Pavarotti…...and even Walter Raleigh…." Winthorp felt himself powerless to do anything. "I don't understand! All of you should be behind bars! How did you even manage to…" the weasel got a powerful slap by Muggshot and it sent him to the floor. The poor detective was sleeping with the fishes.

"Shut it, pipsqueak! We're not answering you squat!" the muscular bulldog told Winthrop, not realizing that he couldn't hear him.

It was now becoming clearer. The Seppuku Squadron had succeeded in reaching the prison wagon. They were now gathering in a ring, before directing their attention towards the one they came for: Cyrille Le Paradox.

Despite seeing so many infamous criminals, Le Paradox was hardly intimidated to say at least. In fact, it amused him to see them all standing in one spot.

"Ah, you must be the entourage sent by Pinga Masayoshi to retrieve me. Then that means she must've gotten the lead from the Grizz" Le Paradox remarked, only to scowl at the mentioning of his former criminal cohort. "Blasted imbécile! I should have known better than to entrust the chip to someone like him" he lamented his choices.

"Enough talk!" Tsao got his attention by approaching his cell. "We were sent here to free you, Cyrille Le Paradox. Someone has desired to get a hold of you personally" the rooster revealed, motioning for Raleigh to decipher the code for Le Paradox's cell.

The frog managed to break the code easily and the cell was opened. Le Paradox was free. However, he still remained in handcuffs. And he remained so cavalier in face of this predicament he was in.

"Merci beaucoup. Now as for what you said. I am aware of Pinga Masayoshi wanting my hide. So I assume you will bring me to her" Le Paradox spoke as if he understood their motives.

After a few seconds of silence, all members of the Seppuku Squadron laughed at the skunk's statement. Even Le Paradox himself couldn't understand why they did that.

"What is so funny!?" he angrily demanded from them.

"Fool! You think we would ever give you to her!?" Rajan growled, his claws nearing Le Paradox's chin.

The freed prisoner sweated, watching as Jean Bison readied his laser cannon. But he wasn't aiming for Le Paradox, fortunately.

"But I know how that penguin uses anyone as pawn…..if not her…then who are you working for!?" he then asked.

Jean Bison was creating a large rectangular exit on the wall of the prison wagon. He was doing that to open a hole for someone. As soon as he had created a rectangular shape, the bison kicked it down with only one blow. Le Paradox was stunned to see who it was that were standing outside.

On a big rig where its inside cargo space was open on its left side, a mouse dressed in a yellow jumpsuit stood there, frowning at the sight of Le Paradox in handcuffs.

"Impossible…" Le Paradox uttered as he got a better look at the mouse. "Penelope? Penelope Van Kinderdjik, is that really you?" he sounded somewhat shocked and surprised to see his former cohort.

"Cyrille Le Paradox. It's been a very long time since we last spoke" Penelope told him, not even hiding her distaste for him.

"But I don't understand…" the skunk was in disbelief. "I was under the impression that you were incarcerated in the Brussels Facility. How did you get loose?" Le Paradox asked her.

Being asked this forced Penelope to smirk. "How? The answer to that is obvious, you idiot" she insulted him before pushing a button on her remote. A bridge was created between the cargo and the prison wagon. "A genius like me can never be caged. But you on the other hand" she continued ridiculing him.

Le Paradox didn't appreciate Penelope's tone. "You shut your mouth! I was the one who gave you assistance against the Cooper Gang!" he furiously spat at her.

"Wrong! It was the other way around! I helped you do many favors in hopes of bringing your twisting plans to fruition! And did you forgot who it was that built your stupid time machine?" Penelope reminded him, starting to get pretty resentful towards her former ally. "Yes! It was me! And now the time machine is destroyed, all because of your arrogance!" she continued chastising Le Paradox.

But the members of the Seppuku Squadron were having enough of this tit for tat between the mouse and the skunks.

"Enough!" Rajan growled, directing his predatory eyes at Penelope. "Here is your pathetic skunk, just like you asked for!" the tiger growled, almost feeling the need to launch himself at her.

"Yeah! How about you do your part of our deal!?" Muggshot demanded.

Despite seeing this, Penelope remained nonchalant. "Don't worry, Seppuku Squadron. I am a woman of my word. In fact, I've brought with you the one thing that can destroy those nano-bombs without them exploding" she answered before showing them a machine connected with eight chairs.

Some of the criminals didn't seem to buy it that much. "What is this?" Tsao asked, his eyes fixated upon Penelope. "Is this some kind of a joke!? You will suffer for this…." Tsao was about to throw his shield, only for Raleigh to intervene.

"At ease, young chap. Can't you see what this machine is?" the frog told him before looking at what Penelope was showing them. "Judging by the many chairs and the large quantity of electricity, this must be an electro shock machine" Raleigh took an interest in it.

"I see. So that's how we will defuse those nano-bombs" the Contessa remarked as she looked at Penelope. "A very splendid plan you have, Penelope Van Kinderdjik" she commended the mouse.

"Finalmente! It will be great to finally get rid of these bombs. One day, that sneaky cagna Pinga Masayoshi will feel the wrath of Octavio!" he sang out what he wanted to do in order to get back at the woman.

"Well, then we all better get onboard, fast. The longer we wait, the sooner those INTERPOL-folks will know what's going on!" Jean Bison spoke while pushing Le Paradox to move. "Alright you! Get your stinky ass onboard that truck!" the bison commanded him.

"Don't touch me, brute! I can handle this on my own!" the skunk protested, yet he soon found himself inside the cargo.

Mz. Ruby felt somewhat moped. "But what about the inspector? I wanted to go back and zombify Carmelita!" the voodoo priestess wailed.

"That fena is as good as dead, Ruby Mambo. Now come onboard" the Contessa told her.

"You ain't the boss of me!" Mz. Ruby responded back, although she did follow her into the cargo.

Before Muggshot joined up with his fellow criminals, he took one last look at Winthorp.

The poor weasel had been lying on the floor unconscious due to the punch Muggshot gave him. That only gave Muggshot nothing but satisfaction.

"Hey look, guys! This weakling here is sleeping with the fishes just because of one punch!" he spoke to his cohorts.

Yet none of them seemed interested in what the bulldog had to say. "Punching a mere weakling is nothing to be proud of" Rajan expressed his opinion.

This made Muggshot offended. "Hey! You take that back, old-timer!" he growled as he followed the others onto the cargo of the truck.

As soon as everyone was on the cargo, the truck's engine started. The cargo closed and it was about to drive away.

The sound of the motor was enough to awake Winthorp from his unconsciousness. Still, Muggshot's punch had been so hard that the young weasel struggled on getting up on his feet. With all his strength, he crawled over to the hole in the wagon in hopes of seeing the vehicle that was taking off.

From what he saw, it was a red big rig with a red cargo on its back. He also saw a pink symbol on the cargo's left wall. From what he could tell, it was the face of a mouse. While panting deeply, Winthorp remembered the individuals he had seen. But at the same time, he realized something else.

"No! They've taken Le Paradox! Those fiends!" Winthorp exclaimed while rubbing his head, still feeling a little headache.

But it was already too late for him, as the big rig sped up on its way. It soon drove upon the main road and continued until it vanished from his small eyes. Watching this only filled the young weasel with so much despair.

"NO!" he slammed his fists on the floor. "I can't believe it…..they got away…..and it's all my fault!..." Winthorp lamented, blaming himself for being such a weakling.

For several minutes, Winthorp laid on the floor crying. Many guards were dead and Le Paradox was freed, all because of his incompetence as a leader. The young weasel was now starting to realize the words Commissioner Barkley had told him, about how he was not prepared for taking serious responsibilities as a detective. Winthorp dreaded of what he would say once he got back.

"When the commissioner gets wind of this…..he's gonna kill me…..or worse….I'll be discharged!" the young weasel dreaded of how his failure to guard Le Paradox would cost him his career.

"Winthorp….Winthorp…" he stopped sobbing as he could hear a familiar voice calling to him from above. He even felt a touch on his head.

Looking up, the teary weasel was stunned to see who it was that had attempted to comfort him. It was Carmelita!

"C-Carmelita!?" Winthorp was in disbelief. Yet he was completely relieved to see her standing there that he embraced her in a tight hug. "CARMELITA! YOU'RE ALIVE!" he exclaimed.

Normally, the vixen would've punched anyone who did something like this to her. But in this case, she couldn't. Winthorp was already too sad and distraught to even think clearly. At the same time, Carmelita was empathic, despite her fiery temper.

"It's alright, Winthorp. I'm here" Carmelita told him while patting his head.

"Thank heavens! I was worried that those boarders had killed you and…." Winthorp stopped speaking as he could see the Carmelita's bandaged stomach. It was clearly covering a wound. "OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?" he screamed in paranoia, only to be banged on his head by Carmelita.

"Get a grip, will you!?" she snapped, which forced the detective to do as she asked. Sighing, Carmelita decided to tell the truth, albeit half of it. "I got this injury from Tsao. He then punched me and thought that I was unconscious. But I was only fooling him. With a nearby health charger, I managed to heal my wound and reduce it's gravity" she told him.

This made Winthorp recall to what he had seen. "Tsao! That's right! There were a bunch of criminals standing here! They've all taken Le Paradox!" the young weasel said.

"I know. I was stunned to see the Contessa and Mz. Ruby accompany Tsao. But tell me, Winthorp. Who else were with them?" the vixen asked as she looked at the empty cell where Le Paradox was usually being held at.

"I saw Muggshot, Jean Bison, Walter Raleigh, Rajan Sunderbans and Octavio Pavarotti. They seemed to be after Le Paradox, but why?" Winthorp could not fathom what he had seen.

Carmelita was having a similar question inside her mind. "That's a very good question. And I bet that there is more to this than what we know. Somehow, I have a feeling that this boarding was not coincidental at all. Someone must have wanted to free Le Paradox" she remarked, feeling very suspicious.

This made Winthorp aware of the situation. "Oh no! They all took Le Paradox with him on a big rig. Darn it! If I hadn't been unconscious after Muggshot's punch, I could've jumped onboard it" the weasel cursed himself.

His colleague was finding the assumption both amusing and stupid at the same time. "Yeah. Sure, Winthorp" she noted, not knowing whether to take the detective's words for real or not. But Carmelita quickly changed the subject. "Now about this big rig. Did you see anything? Like, who it was that was driving?" she asked him.

Winthorp shook his head a no. "No. The only thing I managed to get a glimpse of was that strange symbol painted on the truck's cargo" Winthorp said.

This got Carmelita curious. "What do you mean?" she wondered.

"Well, it was a pink symbol. I don't know what it was supposed to symbolize, but it looked like a mouse's face. That's all I remember" the weasel tried memorizing what he saw.

This only left the inspector in deep thought. She realized that that symbol could only mean.

"No way. A pink symbol that resembles a mouse's face. This can only mean one thing" Carmelita thought, recalling to the conversations she had been having with Bentley lately. "It turns out you were right, Bentley. Penelope really has been making her move lately. But was she responsible for freeing those criminals? Is she the one who wants Le Paradox so bad? No. Clearly, Penelope is only a brick in this large game…...perpetuated by the corruption within INTERPOL itself" she was trying to conclude on what this meant.

Winthorp was puzzled by seeing his colleague thinking like that. "Umm…...Carmelita? Are you alright?" he asked, wanting to see if she was doing okay.

"Winthorp. We need to catch up to this big rig. It couldn't have gotten far from here" she said as she walked towards the opening in the wall.

The young weasel was confused. "You mean we're gonna walk all the way to catch up to it? But that's impossible!" he was in disbelief at her suggestion.

Carmelita smirked. "Who said we were gonna walk?" she asked while motioning for him to follow her outside.

Winthorp did that and he was surprised to see a yellow motorcycle being parked there outside the train. The detective understood that it belonged to INTERPOL.

"What the….how did you get this motorcycle?" he asked as he got out of the wagon.

"I found it secretly stashed in one of the wagons. With this operational, we should be able to catch up to this big rig" Carmelita said while showing something on her wrist. It appeared to be a radar. "Also, I managed to plant a tracking device on Tsao's spear while he was too busy degrading me. So unless he's not noticed it, we should be able to locate where he and his partners are heading" the vixen added, before putting on helmet.

At first, Winthorp felt somewhat reluctant to sit on the back of a motorcycle. He knew how dangerous accidents with them was. But a thing in his gut told him to be brave for once. While he may have failed to guard Le Paradox from the enemy boarders, he could at least make up for it by helping Carmelita getting to them.

"I'm ready!" Winthorp said, trying to put on a brave expression. "Let's go after them, Carmelita" he said while sitting behind the vixen.

Carmelita was amused. "That's the spirit! Now put on this. You will need it for the ride" she told him while handing out a helmet, except that it wasn't for a motorcycle.

Winthorp felt somewhat dumbfounded. "But isn't this a scooter helmet?" he quizzed.

"We don't have time for such, Winthorp! Whatever vehicle it belongs to, it's better than nothing! I'm driving the motorcycle, so I need the motorcycle helmet! So quit complaining and put the damn thing on!" the vixen furiously commanded him.

Gulping, Winthorp gave into her demands, knowing better than to argue against a furious Carmelita. Putting on the helmet, the detective hoped that this would at least save him from a brain concussion.

"Alrighty then! The helmet's on and I'm all…WOAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Winthorp screamed as Carmelita quickly sped up the motorcycle.

This vehicle was incredibly fast, yet it was not suited on driving on dirt. But as soon as they reached the main road, Carmelita sped up even faster. She also took her time to look at her radar, in hopes of figuring out where the big rig was going. Winthorp was struggling with keeping his face out of the wind, all while holding onto Carmelita. A part of him like that, while the rest of him did not.

"Judging from the radar, I can tell that they're not heading towards Marseille. But they aren't going back to Lyon either!" Carmelita called out to her partner, who was still struggling to hold on tight. The vixen turned her attention to the road ahead of them. "Just hold on tight, Winthorp! I'll do my best not to kill us. Otherwise, Commissioner Barkley would chase after us even in the afterlife!" she added, steering the motorcycle so that it wouldn't hit cars or whatever hindrances.

_To be continued…._


End file.
